You are my soulmate
by spiralnebulaM31
Summary: Monica travels to Greece where she meets the love of her life by chance. But things are way more complicated than they should be. (AU Mondler)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the show's characters; I'm just borrowing them and adding the appropriate changes for them to fit in my story.**

**A.N.: I hadn't considered writing an AU before, but this idea suddenly came to my mind and I couldn't resist trying it. I got the idea for the main plot from a Greek comedy that was on TV more than ten years ago. The beginning of the story is similar to that show, but as it progresses it will be slightly different. The story will take part mostly in Greece (because I can haha) and I'm excited to write about places I've been to and loved! I'll try to explain everything else while writing the story. What you should have in mind is that Thessaloniki is the second biggest city in Greece, I will probably add a few details about it in some chapters. It might seem strange at first, but give it a try and read through the whole chapter! ;)**

-O-

Four members of the family were waiting impatiently at the airport. They looked at the people coming and going, but they didn't seem to notice any familiar faces among them.

"As you can see, she's not here. She must have lost her flight." Panos said with a neutral expression on his face.

"Come on, let's go." Chandler shot, not being able to understand why his mother insisted that he should go with them. It was his older brother's fiancée they were expecting and half the family had gone to the airport for her! He could have just stayed at home. He didn't want his brother's perfect life to be rubbed on his face anyway.

"Wait! If she wouldn't be coming, Mark would have called us." Vera said anxiously, refusing to believe her beloved son would do anything without informing her.

"But the flight arrived about an hour ago." George tried to reason with his wife.

"She could have trouble finding her luggage." Vera insisted in the same anxious tone.

"What if she walked right in front of us and we didn't recognize her? We don't even know what she looks like!" Panos said absentmindedly, looking at a few people who seemed to have just gotten off a plane.

"Mark has told me exactly what she looks like; she will stand out among the crowd." Vera assured the others proudly.

-O-

A couple hundred meters away, at the opposite side of the airport, a woman was wandering around, dragging a luggage cart with her. She was panicked.

_What should I do? Where should I go? How will I get out of here? _Stressful thoughts filled her mind as the adrenaline made her keep walking, without really having a destination.

-O-

"That could be her!" Panos exclaimed pointing to a woman. Two seconds later she was in the arms of a man who obviously was a very special friend to her.

"You said that about the last four women…" George pointed out. He was the only one who had managed to remain calm.

"Come on mom, all the passengers have left, let's get out of here." Chandler was beginning to get angry.

As Vera was about to answer him, another woman appeared through a gate. She looked extremely worried; almost scared.

Panos motioned with his hands, silently wondering if it was her.

"No way it's her." Vera said confidently, looking sideways at the woman who was walking towards them without really noticing them.

"You never know." Panos decided to take matters in his own hands. "Excuse me, were you on the flight from New York?" He curiously asked the woman. When she nodded he continued. "Are there any passengers left?"

"I don't think so." She answered in a small voice and looked up. _It's them! Oh my God, it's them! _She couldn't remember ever feeling so scared. That wasn't entirely true; she was used to being uncomfortable around strangers, but this situation was a new kind of scary.

"Thanks." Panos said politely and turned to the family.

"You're welcome." The woman managed to say and began walking to the opposite direction quickly, trying not to draw their attention. _Thank God! It's over!_

"Excuse me, Miss?" George had taken a step towards her. She was frozen in her spot; she didn't dare looking at them.

"Me?" She wondered quietly, almost inaudibly.

"Yes. Do you happen to be Miss Rachel Green?" George asked.

_No, no, NO, I'm not!_ "Yes." She turned around slowly and faced them.

"Seriously?" Chandler uttered.

"Welcome to Thessaloniki! I'm Mark's father." George shook her hand warmly and motioned to the others to do the same.

"Rachel Green? Rachel! We're glad you're finally here!" Vera was hesitant at first, but when she realized this woman would become her daughter-in-law soon, she proceeded to hug her.

"We were worried; we didn't know what to-" Panos started talking.

"We thought you might not have come- " George interrupted him.

"Did your trip go well? How many hours did it take? I'm Mark's mother!" Vera's voice had become high pitched and covered whatever the others were trying to say.

"And I'm his brother-in-law!" Panos said enthusiastically, grabbing her hand and shaking it.

"He's our only daughter's husband!" Vera explained also enthusiastically.

Chandler was the only one who hadn't said a word to her. He was left at the back, looking at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes, as if it was a dream. Rachel was pretty. Chandler was sure she was prettier than all the women Mark had dated combined. But Chandler was sure she wasn't his brother's type. She was his own type, although he would never admit something like that. Once again his brother had unintentionally managed to give him a reason to be jealous of him.

"Chandler, help Rachel with her luggage!" George's demanding voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Chandler is our younger son!" Vera exclaimed as Chandler moved to take the luggage.

"Hi…" Chandler quickly greeted her, trying not to stare too much.

"Come on, let's go!" Vera was hyperventilating and began walking towards the exit, awkwardly dragging her future daughter-in-law with her.

"You haven't told us if your trip went well!" George now seemed to share his wife's excitement and, as he and Panos followed them, they bombarded the newcomer with endless questions, not noticing that she didn't get a chance to answer any of them and just glanced at each of them apprehensively.

_What am I doing? Somebody help me!_ _How did I get myself in this situation? _Monica Geller raked her mind to find a solution to the situation, but there was none.

-O-

**A month ago in New York…**

Monica was running along a busy street in New York. She stumbled upon a few people in her hurry and stopped to apologize to each of them before continuing running. After passing through a line of heavy traffic, she finally reached her destination. It was a little catering business, her little catering business. She was a chef and a couple of years ago she decided to take this step, since her initial dream was far too difficult to achieve.

She entered "Chocolate and Cheese" panting and went to the window where her friend Phoebe was sitting by. Phoebe had helped Monica a lot during the years they had known each other. She was like a sister to her. She was also her assistant, as Monica couldn't afford to pay a lot of staff members, so Phoebe assisted Monica whichever way she could, waitressing and even helping in the kitchen.

"Did I miss him? Did I miss him?" Monica asked breathlessly.

"No." Phoebe answered simply, amused by her friend's demeanor.

"Good, I almost died trying to come here on time!" Monica also took a seat by the window. "What time is it?"

"10:25" Phoebe answered.

"What? He's late!" Monica said in a high pitched voice.

"He is indeed! I'm a little worried…" Phoebe said in a serious tone.

"What if he did come without you noticing him?" Monica asked.

"But I haven't moved at all, I've been here for half an hour! You know there's no chance he would come before 10 o'clock!" Phoebe assured her, still not moving from her seat.

"Do you think something has happened to him?" Monica started panicking. It was irrational, because she hadn't even met the guy –neither had Phoebe- but observing that handsome man while he was parking his car to go to the gym across the street had become an essential part of their day. He wasn't a regular man though, he was a talented actor! They had found out his name recently, it was Mark Bing. They hadn't seen him star in anything big yet, but they both wished he had a lead role in a romance movie.

"I don't know, but I've found out some new stuff about him! Apparently he is half Greek, from his mother's side. His family is currently in Greece, working for their family company or taking a vacation or something." Phoebe said excitedly.

"Really? That's so cool! Can you imagine taking a trip to Greece with him?" Monica said dreamily.

"Hey, isn't your e-mail buddy from Greece?" Phoebe asked her.

"Yeah, that's right! Lately he won't stop saying he wants to meet me…" Monica said thoughtfully.

"Would it be so bad?" Phoebe asked suggestively.

"I don't know… I don't feel we have a real connection… There he is!" They both turned towards the window again, trying to savor every moment looking at his well-proportioned body.

"Oh my God, at last!" Phoebe almost screamed with enthusiasm.

A cheerful voice interrupted their daydreaming and made Phoebe want to scream again, only this time it was with frustration. Rachel Green had come to "Chocolate and Cheese". Monica and Phoebe took a seat and invited Rachel to do the same. Monica and Rachel were classmates and best friends in high school, but as the years went by they drifted apart. In fact, Monica had done everything she could to save their friendship while Rachel kept reminding her how different they were by ignoring her and hanging out with people she considered to be cooler than Monica. Rachel had never graduated from college; she became a model instead and she was always busy making photo shoots, going to parties and meeting new people, especially men. She had learnt that Monica had opened a catering business and went to her whenever she was having a party. They weren't friends any more, but Monica appreciated the gesture. After all, Rachel's requests kept her busy and gave her more wealthy customers. The fact that her food seemed to attract more people was an ego boost for Monica.

This time Rachel was ecstatic. "You can't imagine what has happened since the last time I was here!" She ignored Phoebe completely and kept her eyes on Monica.

"You decided to go for a career change? Maybe medicine or physics?" Monica asked, wishing Rachel had gone there a few minutes later, so that she wouldn't interrupt the fantastic job of staring at Mark.

"No, of course not!" Rachel laughed, failing to notice the sarcasm dripping from Monica's voice. "I'm engaged!"

"What?" Both Monica and Phoebe turned to Rachel wide-eyed. She might be beautiful and successful, but marriage was not something they expected from her, especially when they themselves weren't even close to having a boyfriend.

"Yes, he proposed to me last night! And he's so gorgeous and rich and we have so much fun together!" Rachel kept talking about her fiancé and didn't give Monica and Phoebe the chance to say anything. After a few minutes she suddenly got up and went straight to the window. "Actually you can see his car, it's the one parked over there! My baby must be at the gym working out!"

The other two women followed her gaze and gasped. They hoped Rachel hadn't noticed their reaction.

"It's an awesome car, isn't it? It's also really expensive!" Even if she had, she hid it really well and started taking about the places Mark had taken her with his car.

Phoebe glanced at Monica and sighed. Her eyes were glued to the floor and she looked like she was about to cry. Phoebe it was Rachel's fault and she wanted to kick her out and prevent Monica from getting hurt again. Instead she watched the former friends exchange ideas and finally come to an agreement.

Once Rachel had left, Phoebe had to ask. "What was that all about?"

"She wants me to cater for their engagement party. Weren't you listening?" Monica answered, her face expressionless.

"I heard that! I'm just wondering why you agreed to do it. I mean, it's her and Mark's engagement!" Phoebe knew how much Rachel had hurt Monica in the past. She didn't get why she was doing this now.

"I know! And what's that has to do with anything? We don't even know him in person, Phoebe!" Monica run her hands through her hair frustrated.

"Yes, but you can't deny you have a crush on him. A huge crush I might say!"

"Bigger than yours?"

"Definitely bigger than mine!"

"You're right." Monica sighed.

"She's hurt you before, sweetie. And she's gonna do it again if you keep letting her." Phoebe's heart broke seeing Monica's sorrowful eyes. Rachel had stolen any potential love interest Monica had while growing up. She had done it again, that time without even realizing it.

"I don't care. All I care about is my job. I don't have anything else anyway. She wants enormous amounts of food, so we'll get paid well. I may be able to put some money aside for my possible future restaurant." Monica finished in a weary tone.

"It's not true, you know. It's not true that you only have your job. You have me!" Phoebe hugged her friend letting her know she wasn't alone. Monica accepted the hug, her mind already plotting recipes and creating ideas.

About two weeks later Monica and Phoebe were serving food at the engagement party. Of course Mark wouldn't pay attention to women like them; he was the kind of guy who would notice real women, women like Rachel. Although Monica had always dreamed about someone that handsome falling in love with her, she was sure that was improbable, not to say impossible. She looked around, while checking on her food at the buffet. That was another world, so different from the one she was accustomed to. All the guests were elegantly dressed and it was obvious they were wealthy enough to afford buying ridiculously expensive engagement gifts. As for the happy couple, they had been the center of attention the whole night. They didn't let anyone have fun unless they had some fun first. Monica thought that they were being selfish, but on the other hand they had the right to be; it was their night after all.

Rachel was radiant with joy. She was wearing a simple blue dress that hugged her curves in the most female way. She was objectively the most beautiful woman in the room and she was aware of it. Monica had never considered herself as pretty. She knew she was okay, but nothing special. She was just a girl-next-door type of girl. Phoebe was nice and weird in her one unique way and they made an amazing team together. Monica was insecure enough not to feel comfortable in most social situations, especially when it came to dating. Phoebe was indifferent to what other people thought and she only really cared about her friends. They both knew that no man would ever come between them; they wouldn't let something like that happen. But it was different with Rachel. She was beautiful in an obvious way, in a way that any model would be. She had an air of confidence around her that followed her everywhere and made her look even more attractive to every man in the world. This excessively high level of self-esteem had always helped her pursue the guys she liked and catch all of them, while Monica was left behind, uncertain and alone.

The engagement party was a huge success for the couple. People had shown interest in making advertising photo shoots with Rachel, as well as in introducing Mark to certain movie producers. Monica couldn't complain either. A lot of the guests had offered her kind compliments for her food and she had given them her card in case they needed a caterer.

She left the party with Phoebe, both of them very tired and a little drunk. As soon as Monica had stumbled through her apartment's door alone, she felt a strong need for fresh air and, in spite of the chilly night, she opened the window. She remained still for a few minutes, just looking at the night sky above the high buildings. The Moon was so bright that, along with the street lamps' glare, it almost covered the shine of the stars. But it was so beautiful. Monica wondered if the Moon ever felt as lonesome as she felt right now. No, that wasn't possible. The Moon had the Earth. They were each other's companion and nothing could separate them. Would she ever find someone to be with her forever? Would she ever find her soulmate? Would her soulmate ever find her?

At the same time, about 7,700 kilometers away, another lonely soul was waking up by the sunlight that slowly crept into his room. Chandler Bing got up and went outside. It was his favourite time of the day. Everything was so quiet, so tranquil. He gazed at the sunrise with amazement, wondering what it was that was missing from his life and whether he would ever find the thing he didn't even know he was looking for.

-O-

**A.N.: I think this is a good place to stop for now! I hadn't thought I'd enjoy writing this so much! I know there are a lot of unanswered questions, but everything will be explained in future chapters if anyone's interested. Please be kind and leave a review, I'd really like to know everyone's opinion!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chandler had been in Greece with his family for four months. His parents owned an international company that produced greek yogurt and other dairy products. The company had a department in Greece, because they had actually inherited it from Vera's parents who were Greek. Vera had once gone to New York for a vacation and that's where she met George. They had gotten married and raised their family in New York, but they would go to Greece almost every summer when Mark, Laura and Chandler were kids.

Mark was Vera and George's oldest son. They never admitted it, but it was obvious he was their favorite. They were always gloating about Mark's ambitions and achievements. Mark had studied film direction and he had managed to make himself quite popular in the world of cinema by a few movies he had directed. A couple of years ago though, he had decided that he wanted to try his luck in acting. Mark could sense that his parents adored him, but he didn't really understand why his younger brother wouldn't get the same treatment. He loved his brother and he didn't like to see him miserable. A while ago he met Rachel and he thought she could be the one. He was used to sleeping with a different woman every night and he thought he might like the stability a relationship with a gorgeous woman could offer him. Mark hadn't lost touch with Chandler completely when he started working. They used to talk on the phone a few times a month, but it seemed like Mark had forgotten all about his brother since he had gotten together with Rachel.

Laura was Vera and George's only daughter and they gave her unlimited love and attention. She started working at the family company once she graduated from college. She didn't like her job, but she wasn't the kind of person who would chase after a dream; actually she was the kind of person who didn't have dreams at all. She just wanted to make sure she would have enough money and support whenever she needed them. She also liked to be the boss and she was glad to take her father's place as the chief executive officer at the company when he retired. But her need to control things –and people- didn't stop there. She had the upper hand on her marriage, too. Her husband, Panos, was also half Greek-half American and he worked bellow her at the company. They had a child, Alexandros, who was ten years old. Laura usually treated Panos like he was a child himself, instead of treating him like a husband. It was a shame, because Panos was a great man and a great husband to her and he truly loved her. Laura and Chandler never really connected as siblings; there was always distance between them, mainly because of the irreconcilable differences of their characters.

Chandler was the youngest son and everyone knew he was an accident; his parents hadn't wanted more children after Mark and Laura. His parents loved him very much, but they were always way more supportive to everything his older siblings did and Chandler constantly felt that they were cutting his wings with their behavior. He never got jealous of his brother and sister though. In fact, he was proud of his brother for having dreams and pursuing them. Chandler had always wanted to be Mark's friend and he was glad Mark didn't see him only as an annoying little brother. Chandler wished he was braver to do what his brother did and follow his dreams, but he was still stuck in a job he hated, only because he was good at it and he was afraid to leave it. He kept the accounting for the family company and that meant he had his sister as a boss, which he enjoyed even less than the job itself.

Lately, the department of the company in Greece faced a few problems, so Vera and George decided to go there and stay for a few months. They insisted that Chandler and Panos went with them to help with everything. Laura and Alex joined them once the school year was over.

It was the longest Chandler had ever stayed there and he loved it. He loved the sun that almost never left the sky during the day, he loved the wonderful warm weather they were having and he had begun to adore the city he lived in.

The family owned a huge house in the suburbs of Thessaloniki. It was built in a sparsely populated area near the forest and had an amazing view to the whole city and the sea. Everyone lived in the main house, except Chandler. He had settled in a small wooden cabin near the forest, which was everything he had been looking for. He could be by himself there, enjoy the fresh air along with the view, write, maybe even have company without the entire family noticing and gossiping about.

On his first day there, Chandler realized it took him about half an hour to get to the city center and another half hour to get to the company's office. So he did something he never thought he would do. He bought a motorcycle. It would be the fastest way to get to work and since he had set foot in Greece he felt a little different; he felt like he had left a part of his insecure clumsy self back home and found out he could be more courageous than usual. Maybe it was the place that reminded him of the most carefree summers of his life. Maybe it was the fact that he thought he would be there for just a few months and he would never go back, so it wouldn't really matter if he did something out of the ordinary. He had even met a pretty girl at a bar and they would casually get together sometimes, no strings attached. It was convenient to Chandler this way, because he feared being in a serious relationship. It wasn't the commitment he was really afraid about; it was the fear of being left alone in the end. He had experienced a couple of painful break ups which made him even more insecure. He subconsciously believed that every woman who would be crazy enough to go out with him wouldn't find him mature enough, or handsome enough, or smart enough, or funny enough, or generally she would think something was wrong with him and leave him. Or worse, she would somehow meet his brother and fall in love with him instead. He wouldn't find it weird if a woman did that; his brother deserved it and Chandler was sure Mark was better than him in every way.

**-X-**

During the two weeks that followed Rachel and Mark's engagement party, "Chocolate and Cheese" had gotten at least one order for a huge party per day. Monica was thrilled. She was also exhausted. She had been working incessantly, but feeling as though she was getting nowhere. Phoebe had finally managed to put some sense into her and they ended up both working in the kitchen. It wasn't easy for Monica to let Phoebe really help her; she felt like she was losing control over her kitchen, but she was sure she would fail if she had it any other way. By the end of the first week, she had realized having a little help wasn't that bad. Phoebe seemed willing and happy to do it, Monica enjoyed Phoebe's company and with each huge party they catered for she was getting closer and closer to her dream. Or at least that's what she kept saying to herself as a reminder that the dream still existed somewhere at the back of her mind and that it wasn't entirely impossible for it to come true someday.

**-X-**

It was a Saturday noon and Monica had already baked ten pies and prepared a really big batch of truffles. Both she and Phoebe had catered for a fancy party the previous night, so it was almost morning when they went to bed. Obviously, Monica couldn't stay home for long thinking that she had another party to prepare. She was working on her mushroom ravioli when Phoebe came in. She wore a look of bitter disappointment and walked slowly towards Monica.

"Oh my God, Phoebe, what happened?" Monica dropped what she was doing to ask her.

"The stupid phone company gave me a free trip to Europe. Apparently my name had entered the competition without me even knowing it. Can you believe this?"

"What's so bad about this?" Monica looked confused and tried to keep her mind off work for a minute to listen to Phoebe.

"They just gave me an expensive trip while people starve and live on the streets! And I can't exchange it for money. Ugh this sucks…" Phoebe sat on a chair and immediately stood up again like she had been hit by a lightning. "I know! I know! YOU should go!"

"What?" Monica had gotten even more confused by the suddenly enthusiastic tone of Phoebe.

"I have a free trip to Europe that I don't need and you need a vacation!"

"Phoebe, I don't need a vacation!" Monica said and she went back to putting the final touches to her ravioli.

"Yes, you do! You've been working your ass off for years; you haven't even been sleeping for more than five hours each night for the last couple of weeks for crying out loud!" Phoebe was getting fed up with Monica's denial. She was there and she had seen her work hard over the years and even harder those past couple of weeks.

"It's not like that. Now can you help me with these? They have to be ready in two hours!" Monica knew that Phoebe was right. But her work was all she had. She had a few friends, but she had never really been popular. Her love life had practically been non-existent during the last few years. Her family hadn't been that nice to her and from a young age she had learnt that she had to depend on herself for everything in case she wanted to succeed in her life.

"It's exactly like that! I'm telling you, you should do it!" Phoebe told Monica as they both started trying to decorate the truffles on time.

**-X-**

About six hours later they were at an elegant gathering. Phoebe was serving the food and Monica tried to stay at the kitchen, but ended up in the garden with all the guests, as Rachel had practically dragged her and had the intention of setting her up with someone. It was a cute waiter guy who looked a bit clumsy, but his outgoing personality seemed to be covering it up. He was serving drinks to a few guests and making small talk at the same time.

"Come on Monica, how long has it been since the last time you went on a date?" Rachel asked her.

"It hasn't been that long!" Monica lied.

"Oh Monica… It's okay that you're not dating anyone-"

"I know." Monica said quietly, interrupting Rachel.

"-but it would be so much better if you had someone on your side!" Rachel finished.

Monica rolled her eyes and was ready to say something when Mark appeared hugging Rachel from behind and kissing the exposed skin of her neck. Any conversation about boyfriends and setting Monica up was forgotten and Monica made an excuse to go and hide in the kitchen. Once she turned around to leave, she saw the cute waiter guy making out in a corner with a hot blonde girl. She sighed and didn't go to the garden again for the whole night.

"Maybe I should accept your offer…" Monica told Phoebe as they were driving back to their apartments.

"Really?"

"Yeah… I mean, work is going really well and it wouldn't be so bad if I took a couple of weeks off, would it?" Monica said thoughtfully.

"No, it would be great for you! And you know what? You can choose the destination of your trip, so you can go to Greece and meet that e-mail buddy of yours!" Phoebe felt extremely tired, but tried to show some enthusiasm to encourage her friend to go on that trip.

"Actually, I thought about that myself. What about work? Would you be willing to take care of some stuff without me?"

"Well, I can take deliveries only for kids' birthday parties for a while. You've taught me how to make all kinds of stuff for such parties and business has gone really well during the last month, so you don't have to worry at all about money. What do you say?" Phoebe stopped the van in front of Monica's apartment.

Monica thought about it for a minute. In the end, her exhaustion gave way to a fresh sliver of hope and she made her decision. "Okay. But only if you promise me that the moment you need help with a recipe you'll call me."

Monica didn't remember when it was the last time she had done something nice for herself. Phoebe was right; she needed a break from work, a break from all those rich people partying almost every night, a break from seeing Rachel making out with Mark everywhere. What she had told Rachel was true; it was okay that she didn't have a boyfriend. But sometimes she would give anything to have someone cheering her up when she was sad, giving her a hug when she needed it the most, sharing his happiest moments with her.

**-X-**

Chandler was happy to keep in touch with Mark, even briefly. They would call each other if they had big news and they hang out once or twice a month. That's why it hurt when Mark had apparently found the perfect woman and didn't tell him about it. Chandler had learned the news from their mother one day when he got home from work. He had been very tired and the only thing he wanted to do was lie on the net hammock he had built in front of his cabin and stare at the sky. Instead, he listened to his parents gloating about their oldest son's engagement and his sister speculating about the way their future sister-in-law would look like.

Almost a month had gone by and Mark still hadn't called Chandler. Chandler was too stubborn to call him himself and in the end he gave in to his mother's complaints and gave him a call him just to say "congratulations" for his engagement. A few days later his mother informed everyone that Rachel Green, his future sister-in-law would stay with them for a while and both he and Panos had to go with them to the airport to help Rachel with her luggage. Vera was so enthusiastic she wouldn't take no for an answer, so Chandler reluctantly accepted.

**-X-**

Monica organized her trip in just two days. It was a personal record, since it always took her about a week to go through every little detail. She wanted everything to be perfect. She didn't really care this time and it scared her, but she just needed to get away for a while. She talked with the guy she exchanged e-mails with and he was thrilled that she decided to go to Greece. He even told her that she could stay at his place if she wanted, but Monica thought it was better for her to book a hotel room and meet the guy before deciding if he was worth it. She had given Phoebe every instruction she could think of and they were both waiting at the airport for the announcement of Monica's flight. Of course Monica wanted to go there early, so they had a lot of time to kill.

"Did you tell your parents you're taking some time off?" Phoebe asked while they were sitting at one of the airport cafeterias.

"No. I should tell them, shouldn't I?" Monica's brows wrinkled as if she was in great displeasure.

"I really think you should."

Twenty minutes later Monica finally made a call to her mother. Judy Geller was not an ideal mother, at least not to Monica. Judy had always been mean to Monica without a particular reason, but she treated Monica's older brother, Ross, like he was the most important person in the world. Ross even married a woman who turned out to be a lesbian and he remained an innocent angel in the eyes of his beloved mom. Jack Geller, Monica's father, wasn't really mean to her, but he wasn't supportive either. Monica had achieved everything in her life all by herself and maybe that was why she was so absorbed in her work and didn't trust people to help her. Ross was believed to be exceptionally smart as a kid, so their parents insisted on helping him any way they could to achieve his goals. He ended up becoming a paleontologist and having a doctorate at an early age. As Monica and Ross were growing up they didn't have anything in common, but during the last few years they had begun talking to each other and found out they could even be friends. Phoebe and Ross were the only two people that Monica felt she could trust. Her parents on the other hand were a completely different story and she preferred not to start thinking about it that moment and just make the call.

"Hi mom! How have you been?" Monica tried to sound cheerful.

"Monica! Hi! I'm fine. How are you?" Her mother's tone matched Monica's: it was cheerfully fake.

"I'm fine, too. I just wanted to let you know that I'm taking some time off work. Phoebe won a free trip to Europe and I'm using it instead. I'm going to Greece for a couple of weeks." Monica wanted to shut the phone right after she told her everything, but she knew she had to calm down and listen to her mother.

"Oh, that's great for you dear! But what about your work? Do you remember that time Ross had planned a trip with Carol and he cancelled it after the museum had called and said they needed him?"

"Don't worry, everything at work will be fine." Monica said with gritted teeth.

"I'm just reminding you, you can see where your brother is now! He took another raise last week and his latest article is going to be published in the next issue of this famous paleontology magazine!"

"Yes, mom, I know!" Monica was getting more and more tense. What irritated her the most was her mother's tone when she talked to her and how that tone changed dramatically when she talked to Ross.

"And do you remember when-"

"Mom I have to go now, they're about to announce my flight. Bye." Monica didn't feel good when she did something like that, but she somehow had to stop her mother from lowering her self-esteem even more. What she wanted was some peaceful minutes to say goodbye to her best friend before she left. She returned to the waiting area where she left Phoebe and every thought of calmness flew out of her mind. Rachel Green was there sitting next to Phoebe and talking to her. Phoebe was obviously bored and her body language made it clear that she wasn't interested in having a conversation with her.

"Monica! Guess what!" Rachel said enthusiastically once Monica approached them.

"You're going somewhere?" Monica offered.

"Of course I am! I'm going to Greece like you!"

"Oh. You're not going to Thessaloniki, are you?" Monica asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes, that's where I'm going! Can you believe it? We might sit next to each other on the plane, it would be great!"

"So great." Monica rolled her eyes.

"Come on, cheer up! Why are you going there anyway?"

"Actually, I'm meeting a guy. It's someone I've been talking to on the Internet." Monica said, starting to feel a little proud of herself. She wasn't going to be alone. She would go to her hotel room and call him. No matter how long and annoying the flight would be, it was going to be okay once she got to Thessaloniki. She looked at Phoebe and they smiled at each other. Then it hit her. Mark was half Greek. Rachel's trip had to do something with him. But where was he?

"I'm sorry Rachel, I need to say goodbye to my friend in private." Phoebe dragged Monica a few meters away. She had read her mind. "What you're thinking is true. This has something to do with Mark, but Mark's not going with her. She's going to meet his family. They're all at Thessaloniki right now and they are ready to welcome her with open arms." Phoebe whispered.

"Great. I was actually looking forward to the trip. You know, watching clouds forming in the sky, watching the world from above, trying every version of plane food, reading my book in silence… I hope she's not going to sit next to me…" Monica's voice got covered by the megaphones. She had to board the flight.

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine." Phoebe hugged her. "Take care. And call me when you land!"

"Of course I'll call you! You take care, too."

**-X-**

About an hour later they were flying above the Atlantic Ocean and Monica's mood wasn't getting any better. Rachel had found the seat next to Monica empty and decided she would sit there for the rest of the trip.

"Have you known Phoebe for a long time?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, we've been friends for a few years." Monica answered.

"You shouldn't trust any woman, there isn't such thing as a friendship between two women. All of them are interested in stealing your guy from you…"

It would be a long flight for Monica…

**-X-**

"Who cares? My skin is tough by default!" Monica answered. She had realized that she wouldn't be left alone, so she tried to be patient with Rachel.

"Oh my God, I'm a mess!" Rachel said, looking at a compact mirror she got out of her make-up bag. "My lips are dehydrated, too!"

Monica looked strangely at her. She looked beautiful, as always, how could she think there was something wrong with her? "Do you use all those make-up supplies every single day?"

"Of course I do! How do you think I keep looking this good?" Rachel said incredulously. "You have no idea what I'm going through every day." She added dramatically.

"Oh, I know what you mean." Monica rolled her eyes.

"Do you think it's easy being beautiful?" Rachel continued. "Let me tell you that it's not!"

That moment a woman pulling a food trolley stopped next to their seats. Monica immediately started saying what she wanted to order, but Rachel stopped her.

"No, thank you. We will just have the green salad." She told the woman.

"Are you serious? I want to taste the real food! I'm a chef, I want to know what it tastes like!" Monica complained.

"No, we will be sitting in a plane seat for who knows how many hours! We have to eat a little and really healthy food!" Rachel said as the woman pushed the trolley towards the next seats.

"I don't even have bread…" Monica said as she was chopping on her salad. Monica wasn't always like that. She usually liked taking control of a situation, that's why she liked her job so much. She loved cooking, but she also loved the fact that she was really good at it and she knew it would be great if everyone cooked her way; everything would be delicious. But with Rachel it was different. It was like Rachel sucked all the energy and the self-esteem Monica ever had and added it to herself.

**-X-**

"Don't forget what Mark said! Rachel is on a strict diet, so we will eat only cooked healthy meals and only the kind of food she eats, no fast food of any kind! And no alcohol! Also, she doesn't like dogs, so keep Soho away from her! Don't disturb her or be rude to her for any reason and if she wants you to do something, then do it!" Vera reminded them what the "rules" for Rachel's stay was, as they were all seated around the dining table.

"Yes, ma'am!" Chandler said, annoyed. He wasn't thrilled that Mark's fiancée would be there with them. Why would he care? It wasn't like Mark had shared his feelings with his brother. It wasn't like Mark remembered he had a brother he could talk to about stuff like that. And now, his mother would treat her even better than she used to treat Mark.

"And don't talk to her sarcastically Chandler, noone appreciates it when you do that!" Vera said.

"Great. Goodnight." Chandler got up and went to the garden. He sat on the porch swing. Laura joined him a couple of minutes later.

"What, you want to give me a lecture, too?" Chandler asked her.

"No."

"Did you get what just happened? It's like she will come here and invade our house!"

"Let her come and we'll have such a wonderful time!" Laura's voice was dripping with irony. "What kind of woman would go to a foreign country to meet her fiancé's family without her fiancé? It's pretty weird, that's all." She added.

Chandler was surprised at his sister's words. He'd thought she would behave like their mother. Obviously, she felt the same way Chandler did about Rachel's arrival.

"Do you think there's a mysterious backstory to their relationship?" Chandler asked.

"I think if there is, we'll definitely find out!"

Chandler just smiled at his sister. Maybe he wouldn't be alone in this after all.

**-X-**

While Rachel was in the bathroom refreshing her make-up, Monica ordered two kinds of dessert from another woman with a food trolley. She had barely started tasting them when Rachel returned.

"Do you have any idea what's happened to me?" Rachel asked. She looked disappointed. "I feel like my skin can't breathe!"

"Oh my God! Can I do something?" Monica rolled her eyes for the hundredth time in the last few hours. She was so sick of Rachel; she just wanted to be alone.

"No, it's because of the air pressure. And the stress. How do you feel?" Rachel asked as she looked sideways at Monica's plates.

"Not good. The air pressure and the stress have resulted in hunger for me…" _Of course they have, you haven't let me properly enjoy a meal._

"Oh God, oh God, oh God… I can't even think about the fact that, once I arrive, Mark's entire family will be waiting for me…" Rachel said, panicking.

"Nobody will be waiting for me, how about that?" Monica mumbled.

"I wish nobody would be waiting for me! I'd go to my nice hotel room… Where will you go?"

"To my nice hotel room!" Monica answered in a cheery tone. Was Rachel really not enjoying the fact that she had people waiting for her?

"So, Monica, you haven't told me, do you have a love interest back at New York?" Rachel changed the subject suddenly.

"I've already told you there's noone Rachel." Monica sighed.

"Come on, wasn't there even just one guy you liked? A secret crush maybe?" Rachel easily put on a naughty smile.

Monica found the sudden change of the subject suspicious. What would she tell her, that she had a crush on her fiancé? She decided to go with half the truth. "The guy I chat with on the internet has been the only guy in my life for the last few months."

"That's okay, even that sounds really interesting! Tell me, tell me, what's his name, how is he, is he handsome?"

_Will she ever shut up?_ "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. His name's Kostas, he's our age and I haven't seen him, so I don't know how he looks like."

"Not even a picture of him? Has he seen you?" Rachel continued her attempt to learn some juicy news.

"No, we just talk on Skype a few times a month, nothing special." Monica wished that was it with the questions.

"Yes, but you like him, don't you?"

"He's nice to talk to." Monica said simply.

"And he likes you, right?" Rachel said, the naughty smile never leaving her face.

"Well, yeah, but he hasn't even seen me yet!" Monica said. She was anxious that he wouldn't like what he saw. What if Kostas was used to dating greek women who looked like ancient greek goddesses?

"Every person has different qualities; you can't just focus on the outside. For example, you might not be that pretty, but I'm sure you have something on the inside that's worth it!" Rachel said, oblivious to the fact that she made Monica feel unworthy.

"Gee, thanks!"

"No, really, that was a compliment! Whoever doesn't look deeper than the beauty of the face gets on my nerves!"

"Don't get mad, think about the results of the stress on your skin…" Monica said sarcastically.

"So, with this Kostas guy, it's nothing serious?" Rachel insisted on knowing more details, even if there weren't any.

"Oh yeah, of course it is, in about a week we will be buying our wedding rings!" Monica faked enthusiasm and a smile.

"Do you like my engagement ring? It was my choice! And it was very expensive!"

"It's nice…" _How shallow could this woman be?_

"So, what do you want to do now? Oh I got it! I'll show you the pictures from the engagement party!"

_Great. _Monica thought and sank into her seat.

**-X-**

"We're going to use two cars. She could have lots of luggage." Vera said as the family was having breakfast.

"Are you going to come, too?" Panos asked his wife.

"Of course not!" Laura answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I asked Chandler to drive her car." Vera told Panos.

"Everyone is changing their timetables for the perfect girl!" Laura said to noone in particular.

"I'd like to know what a model eats…" Vera said.

"Probably nothing! You said it yourself, she's on a strict diet. She must be one of those obnoxious women who are desired by every man in the world and are well aware of it!" Laura said.

"But Mark assured me she's so nice and kind!" Vera said. "What's the time? Do you think we should leave for the airport?"

"Not yet, it will take them at least six more hours to get here." Panos said.

**-X-**

A couple of stops and changing of planes later and the two women still sat next to each other. Monica was trying to sleep. Rachel was hyperventilating. Monica looked anything but pleased.

"Monica, wake up!" Rachel poked Monica's arm.

"What?" Monica asked sleepily.

"Wake up and listen! I have an idea!"

"What time is it?" Monica reluctantly sat up.

"I'm so excited! I just made the most perfect ingenious plan!"

"You?" Monica asked her doubtfully.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked, offended.

"Nothing. Go on."

"We're going to switch places."

"On the plane?" _That was her perfect plan?_

"Why do you always have to mock me?" Rachel whined.

"Sorry, I'm a little dizzy from the jet lag… What places will we switch?" Monica asked.

"I'll become you. And you'll become me!" Rachel explained.

"What?"

"I'll become Monica and you'll become Rachel!"

"Oh Rachel… You have jet lag, too, don't you?" Monica asked sympathetically.

"No, no, listen! Once we arrive at Thessaloniki's airport, you'll become Rachel and Mark's family will be waiting for you. They don't know what I look like, since they've never seen me."

"So, Mark's family will be waiting for ME?" Monica was getting more and more confused.

"Yes, they'll be waiting for you as Rachel."

"And what will they be waiting for you as?"

"They won't be waiting for me at all! I'll leave the airport alone and go to a hotel. And I will meet that internet guy of yours, ugh what did you say his name is?"

"You mean Kostas?"

"That's the one! And I will present myself as Monica! You said he doesn't know what you look like…"

"No, he doesn't."_ Was that woman insane?_

"Good! Noone will understand a thing!" Rachel said, really believing it.

"I don't understand either. Why should we do something that stupid?" Monica tried to think of any logical reason someone would want to switch places with her.

"Because it's a unique chance for us to find out what people really think of us. Do they think I'm just pretty on the outside without being deep and stuff? And what kind of person are you? Could they think you're smart if you don't have style and confidence like me?" Rachel said, as if her explanation was the most logical thing in the world.

"I know what counts for me. They look at me, they think I'm boring, they leave. That's it."

"Monica, believe me. My idea is exceptional." Rachel was so sure of herself it gave Monica a headache!

"We can't do something like that!"

"Sure we do! What do we have to lose anyway?"

"You're clearly out of your mind! I'll present myself to Mark's parents as their future daughter-in-law?" Monica tried to reason with her.

"It will be only for a couple of days! Just to see how they're going to react…"

"Sure. Then what will we tell them? 'We got you! Don't worry, your son won't marry the insecure average woman you met, he will marry the insanely attractive one who is a real model by the way.'" Monica attempted to make Rachel realize how ridiculous her idea was. Apparently Rachel wouldn't give up that easily.

"You don't understand me. Nobody understands me!" Rachel put on a sad face.

"Stop whining." Monica shot.

"Monica, please! I'm begging you, let's try that. I want to find out what people really think of me. Am I just a beautiful face to everyone?"

Monica stared at Rachel. Did she really have a problem with what people thought about her? "Okay, let's say that I'll go to the family. Why will you go to Kostas?"

"To see how he going to react."

"Oh… I'm sure he will shut the door immediately after he sees you! You will be outside of the door, not inside!" Monica was furious with her.

It was Rachel's turn to roll her eyes.

**-X-**

Throughout the rest of the flight Rachel seemed to have forgotten about that idea of hers. Monica was relieved, but also terrified of not being able to keep saying 'no' to her if she brought it up again.

They got off the plane in silence. While they were waiting for their luggage, Rachel started speaking again. "We have to set the last details."

"What details?" Monica asked.

"The details of the plan!" Rachel said, as if they had agreed on going forward with the plan.

"Not the ridiculous plan again! We're not doing that Rachel!" Monica shouted to her.

"Rachel? Are you talking to me? I'm not Rachel. We're at Thessaloniki. You're Rachel Green and I'm Monica… What's your last name?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Okay, relax Monica! We are not doing it, okay. Now can you grab my suitcase? It's that one."

Monica reminded herself that everything would be over in a few minutes. _Just get her luggage, so you can leave as fast as you can._

"Those, too. And that bag over there." Rachel pointed to the rest of her stuff as Monica tried to grab everything, including her own luggage. "What are you doing?"

"I have to get mine, too, don't I?" Monica shot, annoyed.

"Oh, of course, go ahead!" Rachel put on a fake smile and waited by the luggage cart. She wouldn't do anything useful, but she had at least pulled the cart from its original place. "You know what? Our ways will be separated, so we're going to need another cart. And since I've been useful enough to carry my own cart, don't you think you should get one, too?"

"Fine." Monica mumbled and set off to find another luggage cart. She went a little far to locate one among the crowd.

When she went back, Rachel was gone. "At last!" She said to herself. She put her luggage on the cart. _Maybe Mark's family found her and she couldn't get away after all. _Once she began pushing her luggage cart, she noticed something strange. The tags on her luggage weren't hers, but she was sure it was her luggage. She bent down to look more carefully. _Rachel Green. _Rachel's name was on every piece of Monica's luggage. She put it there after she had told her to go find another cart.

Monica was tired and confused as hell. What should she do? She couldn't go with Mark's family; it wasn't right. It wasn't right for Rachel to meet Kostas and go out with him either. If noone went with the family, Mark would probably be mad. What would happen to their engagement? Monica didn't care at all. They could jump off a cliff and she wouldn't care… So, should she do it? What was in it for her? If she did it, she might even get caught for fraud. If she didn't do it, it was possible that she wouldn't stop thinking about it and it would ruin her entire trip. _More than it's already ruined?_

All those puzzling thoughts flooded her mind when she accidentally came face to face with Mark's family. She hadn't seen any of them before, but she was sure it was them. When she admitted it was her, they seemed hesitant at first, but then they warmed up to her and bombarded her with questions. The only person who remained silent was a cute guy about her age. Apparently, he was Mark's brother, but he looked nothing like Mark. Apart from the weirdness of the situation, she found the strength to speak properly. She began answering their questions about the flight. They moved to the cars and Chandler put her luggage in one of them. He got in and left. Before he did so, he took off his sunglasses and Monica got a glimpse of his blue eyes. They were mesmerizing. Only when Vera tagged at her hand, she realized she was staring towards the place where Chandler's car had been. He left without saying a word to anyone. He had amazing eyes, but he also had some attitude.

She got in the other car with the rest of the family and let herself relax a little and enjoy the view. Vera was talking continuously, but Monica had her mind elsewhere. During the craziness of the flight, she didn't notice any detail of the place they landed on. The airport was near the sea and they drove on a road across the seaside for a while. She gazed at the sea at their left. The sun was shining and part of the city could be seen in front of them, next to the sea. They never reached that part though, because they took another route which took them to an equally big road that seemed to go around the city. She could see it all from up there. New York was huge. There was no way she could go to a place nearby and see the whole city. But at that place she could do it and it gave her goosebumps. It was a big city, but not big enough to take someone more than an hour to get from one side of it to the other. She could distinguish some buildings that seemed to be unique in their own way, but she had no idea if they represented something. Her favorite thing was the sea that looked so peaceful and refreshing.

Vera touched her shoulder. Monica turned around to look at her wide smile.

"So, that's Thessaloniki." Vera said. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful."

**-X-**

**A.N.: Phew! I have never written something that long before! I don't want to make the author's note equally long; I just want to say thanks for the reviews! I have given different names to ****Chandler's parents**, because the're completely different people in this story and I didn't want anyone to confuse them with the characters we have known from the series. I hope this chapter isn't too long, just long enough to answer your questions and make you want to read more! I certainly want to write more! There wasn't really any Mondler, but as you can feel, there will be some from now on; they're going to live in the same house after all. ;) If you like it, please review, it will make my day! If you don't like it, feel free to review as well, some criticism is sometimes needed…


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom! Mom! When will Aunt Rachel arrive?" Alex went running into the living room where Laura was sitting.

"What did you call me?" Laura asked.

"Mother…" Alex looked down.

"Good. Listen to me carefully, Alex, the lady that will come here is not your aunt yet and we pray she never will be. You are going to call her _Miss_ Rachel and you are going to be careful about what you say in front of her. Is that clear?" Laura said in a strict, but soft tone. She was a good mother, but she had an obsession about her son being a perfect little gentleman, so she tried to make him one since a very young age.

"Asbolutely! When will she arrive?"

**~O~**

The ride from the airport took them a little less than an hour. The car Chandler had been driving was already parked and when Monica came out of the other car Chandler took out the last piece of her luggage and walked towards the main house. Monica let her gaze wander around her. There were hardly any houses nearby. This resulted in a new found tranquility after the noise of the heavy traffic; the rustle of the trees and the sound of the crickets adding a fresh natural quality to the atmosphere. The sun was high above their heads, but the trees around the house were big enough to cover the extreme heat of its rays and transformed it into familiar warmth. Monica didn't know what to think about the house itself. It looked like it came out of a movie, one about a loving family living happily in the suburbs, the kids running on the lawn playing with the dog, the parents cuddling contently on the porch swing enjoying how perfect their life was. That was everything Monica secretly wished she had one day and suddenly she found herself 'engaged' to her crush who probably didn't even remember her and having the chance to live in a house like that, without that chance being really hers.

"Here we are! Welcome to our home!" Vera said.

"Thank you. It looks lovely!" Monica said politely.

"Consider it your home, too!" George smiled at her.

"Let me introduce you to Laura, our daughter!" Vera said pointing to a blonde woman who didn't look pleased.

Laura shook Monica's hand half-heartedly and kept her eyes on her, trying to figure out if she was a threat to her family or not.

As Vera gestured Monica to follow her towards the house, a barking and a boy's voice echoed in the silence. A big black dog came towards her and a boy about ten was chasing it. Everyone, including Chandler who had come out of the house again, stood there waiting for Monica's reaction. She didn't do anything, so Vera took Alex by the hand and introduced him to 'Aunt Rachel'.

"And that's Soho!" Alex exclaimed, running to the dog again.

"Alex, take the dog away! What have we said?" George shouted at his grandson.

"Oh, what a beautiful dog!" Monica said, as soon as Soho came to her. She bent down and practically hugged him, oblivious to everyone's shocked looks around her. Monica loved dogs. She used to have one when she was a child and if someday she got a family of her own and a nice house she could definitely picture a dog there.

As the family finally began walking towards the house, they were unaware of one curious set of eyes watching them through the window...

Chandler didn't go with them; he went to his cabin instead. Just as he lied down and thought noone would bother him until dinner time, his cell phone rang. It was Mark. _Of course, now he knows I exist!_

"Hey, what's up?" Chandler said.

"Hi little brother! How is everything going? Had Rachel arrived?"

"Yes, she's here. Everything's okay."

"That's it? Tell me, what do you think about her?" Mark asked. He genuinely wanted to know his brother's opinion.

"She's okay." Chandler answered simply.

"Just okay? Is anyone there and you can't talk?" Mark chuckled.

"No, okay. She seems nice. She's your fiancée, what do you want me to say?" Chandler was glad nobody could see him blush.

"Wait, wait. Are you jealous?" Mark was just teasing Chandler. He had no idea he was right on the spot.

"Jealous? Of what?" Chandler said, alarmed.

"Come on, she's really pretty and sexy!" Mark insisted.

"Okay, let me take you to her." Chandler said and walked into the house.

"Look, Chandler, she is fragile and sensitive." Mark said as Chandler watched Monica trying to prevent Soho from licking her. Alex was laughing at them and Monica almost lied on the floor. The picture in front of his eyes didn't match Mark's or his mom's description of Rachel at all. "Don't let her go out alone, I want you to keep an eye on her." Mark continued.

"I can't promise anything. Do you want to talk to her? It's Mark." Chandler attempted to hand the phone to Monica.

"I… I'll call him later!" Monica stuttered as she stood up.

"I'm sure she's embarrassed to talk to me in front of everyone. I'll call her cell phone. Bye." Mark said and immediately called his fiancée. Rachel was unpacking in her luxurious hotel room when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Were you embarrassed to talk to me before?" He said sweetly.

"Ermm… Yeah… How did you know?

"I know you! Everything okay there?"

"Everything is fine." Rachel was relieved to hear his familiar voice.

"How is my family treating you? Has my mom driven you crazy?"

"No! She's a great woman!" Rachel didn't really know what to say, so she went into full lying mode.

"What about my dad? And Laura?"

"Everyone is great!"

"Even Chandler?"

"What can I say? He's great!"

"I'm sure you won't say the same about Soho!" She could feel his teasing smile as he said that. Apparently, that lying thing wasn't going well.

"Why not? He's great, we started talking and we connected immediately!"

"With Soho, the dog?" Mark was amused. He thought that either Rachel had a huge jet lag or his parents gave her a headache with their questions.

"Oh. I must have confused him with…"

"With Alex, Laura's son!"

"Yes, him! Listen, honey, I have to go, I'll call you later." She hung up and threw her phone at the nearest wall.

She was sure what she was doing was wrong, but there was no way she would tell the truth now.

**~O~**

"I thought you should stay at Mark's room. All his things are there, his pictures… We used to come here every summer when he was a child, I'm sure he's told you!" Vera said as she walked Monica to a room. "Let me get you some fresh towels."

Monica looked around. The room was full of young Mark's pictures and some things, like scarves and jockeys, that looked like they belonged to a sports team. She walked up to one of the pictures and touched Mark's face. "Will you ever forgive me? I'm innocent, do you believe me? Great, now I'm talking to myself again. I have to do something to make them believe I'm her!" She sat on the bed facing away from the door, took her cell phone out of her purse and pretended to be talking with Mark. Soon, Vera arrived at the open door and couldn't help but listen to the couple's conversation with pride. "Of course I miss you Mark! No, I miss you more. No, I miss you more! I love you, too. No, I love you more. Bye honey!" Monica said to noone and lied on her back giving fake kisses to her phone. She saw Vera standing there and she pretended to be surprised and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I was just happy to hear you so in love!"

"It's okay. I didn't know you were standing there…"

"You're really in love with him, aren't you?" Vera asked.

"Yes, I am so in love with him." Monica said carefully.

"I hope you'll be happy together, sweetheart!" Vera hugged Monica. Monica knew she should feel really bad about the wonderful way Mark's parents were treating her, but all she felt was a warmth that enveloped her every time his dad implied they were her family, too, or every time his mom hugged her. She had never felt that precious to her own family.

"Once you're ready, come down to the living room, we'll all be there until dinner time!" Vera said and left Monica alone.

Monica sat back down to bed and covered her face with her hands skeptically. Only then did she notice the ring on her finger. She was still wearing Rachel's engagement ring! When they were on the place, Rachel had insisted that Monica should try the ring. Once she did, they felt some turbulence and when everything was normal again Rachel claimed she had to go to the bathroom to freshen up. When she came back to their seats, Monica had fallen asleep with her engagement ring on. That's when Rachel came up with the whole idea of them switching places. That's why for the rest of the trip she hoped Monica would have forgotten about the ring and understand the concept of the idea.

Monica called Rachel. The fact that Mark's family made her feel good about all of this was a sign that that stupid game she was a part of should be stopped as soon as possible.

"Hello?" Rachel answered, not knowing what to expect.

"You will pay for what you've done, you should know that!" Monica said angrily.

"Hi dear! How are you?" Rachel decided to play dumb.

"Listen to me! I'm leaving, I can't stay here a minute longer!" Monica whispered-screamed.

"Come on, don't panic! Everything's great!" Rachel said in a calm tone.

"Everything is not great! Do you understand the seriousness of our actions?"

"Monica it's just a joke, nothing more!"

"We could end up in jail, you know that, right?" Monica shuddered at the thought.

"Monica, don't make me anxious. I have to go now." Rachel said and hang up.

"What? No, where are you going?" Monica said panicked and tried to call her again, but she had already switched off her phone.

Monica was in a house full of people, but she felt so alone. Suddenly, she remembered that she had promised Phoebe she would call her when her plane landed.

"Phoebe, save me!" She said to her best friend.

"Monica! At last! I thought you met a greek stud and forgot about me and I was happy about you in my mind!" Phoebe's cheerful tone made Monica feel even worse about what she was about to tell her.

"Phoebe, I have to talk to you, it's urgent."

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Phoebe became instantly worried.

"I think I'm okay. But I might be in danger!" After a short explanation, an unnecessary promise from Phoebe that she would talk to her psychic about Monica's situation and lots of wasted dollars on Monica's phone bill, Monica decided it was time for her to leave the room.

Once she was out, she wanted to run. She listened to the muffled voices coming from downstairs. There was no way she could leave now without anyone noticing. _Maybe there's a fire escape somewhere… _She began walking down the corridor in search of any emergency exit. There were identical white doors everywhere. She walked in front of a half opened door and without realizing what was happening, she found herself face to face with an old man holding a rake in a threatening way.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Who knows?" Monica surprised herself with her answer. She felt way more scared than she looked. Maybe she was in real danger.

"Tell me who you are!" The man asked again.

"I'm… Rachel."

"Rachel who? Mark's Rachel?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm Mark's fiancée from New York." Monica assured him.

"You? Mark got engaged to you?"

"Monica didn't like the man's hostile tone. "Do you have any doubt about that?" She shot.

Before he gave her an answer, Vera came running up the stairs. "I see that you met Grandpa!" She told Monica.

"She says she's Marks special friend, which doesn't sound right, because Mark's women were always much hotter!" Grandpa said, pointing at Monica.

"Dad, Rachel is Mark's fiancée. Please, be nicer to her!" Vera said.

Grandpa went back inside his room and closed the door after shooting one last menacing look to Monica.

**~O~**

When Monica finally went downstairs, she realized Mark had called again. It was George who was talking with him this time.

"Rachel! Mark wants to talk to you!" He handed her the phone excitedly.

Monica took it and did the only think that came to her mind. She turned away from them, said 'hi' and discreetly pressed the off button. She continued talking like before. The whole family was looking at Monica's back as she was saying fake 'I love you's and other sweet words. Monica couldn't believe she was doing that again. Vera, George and Panos were listening intently with smiles on their faces. Laura was whispering in her husband's ear, commenting on Monica's very expensive engagement ring. Chandler was at the edge of his seat, not being able to move. He wanted to go away, he wanted to stop listening, but he remained frozen, seeing another beautiful woman being in love with his brother and ignoring his existence.

**~O~**

A couple of hours later, Monica was in Mark's room again. She said she had to unpack, so that they would let her go, but she hadn't touched her luggage. She was lying on the bed, thinking about the trouble she was in. Someone knocked on her door. It was a woman, around her age. She was wearing an apron and she looked miserable. Monica wondered how many more people were hidden somewhere in this house.

"Miss, dinner is ready. The family wants you to dining room." The woman said in broken English.

"Okay. What's your name?" Monica asked.

"At home they call me Lenio. Here Eleni. Your name?"

"Here… Rachel." When Eleni gave her a weird look, she continued. "I'll be there in a minute."

As Monica walked down the corridor once more, she thought that it was time for her to confront everyone, since the whole family would be eating together. _What about that emergency exit?_

"Welcome to our home!" A loud voice came through another white door.

Monica took a step back and looked inside the room. There was a middle-aged woman sitting on a rocking chair by the window. She looked harmless.

"Hello." Monica said daring to enter the room.

"You're Rachel, right?"

"Yes, of course. Who else?" Monica answered.

"I am Aunt Amelia. Mark could have mentioned me, which I don't think so."

"He might, but…"

"You don't need to make an excuse for him... Is he alright?" Aunt Amelia seemed awfully nice and kind.

"Yes, he's great…"

"As he should be! He's lucky to have such a gorgeous woman by his side!"

Monica's eyes widened in shock. She wasn't used to accepting such compliments from people who had just met her.

"They are waiting for us for diner." Monica said.

"No, they are waiting for you. I haven't had a meal with the family in years. I can digest food easier when I don't listen to certain things they say. You'll understand what I mean." Aunt Amelia smiled, like what she had just said was the most normal thing in the world.

"Okay." Monica said and left the room. Just when she thought things couldn't get any weirder…

**~O~**

"I have to remind you: you have to be nice to her, don't say inappropriate words or make jokes, don't attempt to drink any alcohol, don't complain about the food, don't- "

"Do I have to stay?" Chandler interrupted Vera, annoyed with her behavior once again.

"Please don't do this to me, have I asked you a lot of favors?" Vera asked without taking a breath.

"About a million." Chandler muttered.

"Shhh! She's coming!" Vera whispered before Monica walked into the dining room.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Monica said quietly.

"You should be; I'm hungry as a wolf!" Grandpa said.

"Father!" Vera gave him a warning glance.

"I met Aunt Amelia." Monica told Vera.

"My sister doesn't leave her room often…" Vera said.

"She was really nice!" Monica said.

"That's just like her. She deals with her problem with humor and optimism…" Vera smiled.

"What problem?" Monica asked.

"She is blind, didn't you get that?" Vera said as Eleni began serving food to each of their plates.

Monica hadn't realized that nice the lady couldn't see anything. She wondered how a person seemed to be able to deal with serious things so easily while someone else couldn't even handle an hour of gym class. Her thoughts were interrupted by Grandpa's loud voice. "What's all that? That's all we're going to eat? What are we, cows?"

Everything was some kind of a vegetable and no one seemed pleased, including Monica. The last proper meal she had was almost 24 hours ago, since she only ate a salad similar to that one on the plane with Rachel.

"Father, please try to respect our guest." George told Grandpa.

"Mark informed me all about your eating habits." Vera told Rachel as she started chewing on something green.

"He did, didn't he?" Monica muttered, unimpressed.

"The truth is that we had planned something different. We wanted to make a lot of traditional greek recipes for you to try…" George said.

"We should do that!" Monica exclaimed excitedly, without being able to contain herself.

"No! We don't want to disrespect you in any way!" Vera said and Monica looked disappointed. Greek cuisine had been one of the main reasons she was looking forward to this trip.

"We don't have to! Salad is a great choice, too!" Panos tried to be nice. Monica could tell he was a nice person in general and he never held any grudges.

"Aren't we going to drink something other than water?"

"No, father, water it is." Vera said. "Mark told me you don't drink alcohol."

"No, of course I don't." Monica said sarcastically, hoping noone would grasp her tone. She looked around and she thought she saw a hint of a smile on Chandler's face.

"So, when are you planning to have the wedding?" Panos asked.

"We don't know yet." Monica lied. She didn't even know if they had discussed about the date yet.

"It should be soon, you seem to love each other so much!" Vera said with a dreamy expression on her face. "Tell me, Rachel, don't you know any nice women back at New York that you could introduce to Chandler?"

"Mom! Stop it." Chandler blushed. Vera smiled at him innocently.

"I know a lot of nice women, but I don't know who Chandler would like…" Monica said, looking at Chandler up and down. Her eyes rested on his and he blushed even more if that was possible. Monica realized he felt uncomfortable and changed the subject, trying to be friendly, although both Grandpa and Laura seemed to be trying to achieve the exact opposite. Laura 'accidentally' mentioned a few women Mark had dated and implied that it was improbable that he would change so drastically and settle down with someone like Rachel. Grandpa kept complaining about everything and everyone. Panos attempted to change the subject again and asked Monica how she met Mark. Monica wished Laura went back to insulting her instead of having her glare at her, especially at that moment when she was at a loss of words. She was sure Rachel had told her that story, but after a thousand other ridiculously detailed stories she had heard from her, she couldn't remember it, so she to tried to make up one. Unfortunately, that didn't work very well since Mark had already told his mother the true story and all Monica managed to do was make everyone confused. Then Vera asked Monica if she could see pictures of the engagement party. Monica blushed as she remembered her and Phoebe's half-drank state that night. A few minutes before they had left the party, Phoebe bet that Monica wouldn't have the courage to stand next to Mark and even hug him, so that she could take a picture of them. Of course, Monica's competitive side appeared and she had to win the bet. So, when George agreed with his wife that they wanted to see pictures, Monica drew out the single picture from her purse and made them happy. She didn't know why she still carried it with her. She didn't even know if Mark remembered ever talking to her. Vera shove the picture into Chandler's hands after everyone else had seen it. Chandler just held it for a minute saying nothing and reached behind Alex to give it back to Monica, their eyes locking again.

**~O~**

How was Monica supposed to sleep? She felt like she was invading Mark's space, even though he was hundreds of miles away. She was lying on his bed and everything in the room screamed that it was his. Plus, the silence was unbearable. She was used to hearing the noises of the busy road or the loud music of a neighbor and even though she usually found them annoying, she realized hearing absolutely nothing was one of the strangest things that had happened since she got to that house. She couldn't imagine that a few white doors away they were talking about her.

Vera and George were discussing how lucky they were that their son had found such a nice woman to spend his life with. George insisted that she seemed really different from any woman Mark had dated before; he thought she was more sophisticated, more mature, unlike the shallow models he used to bring home with him. Vera sensed her husband was right, but couldn't bring herself to admit it. Whatever he said, Rachel was actually a model and she might not look like the other women, but it was too soon for them to know if that was her true self. Besides, she was not how Mark had described her at all. Vera and George had agreed that they could see she was a good person when she smiled to them before they went to sleep.

Panos didn't have the same amount of luck. Laura went on and on about how weird it was that Rachel was such a nice and kind person and she was sure it was all an act. According to her, Rachel was marrying Mark for his money. What she didn't understand was the fact that he had chosen her of all the women he had ever had in his life. What was so special about her? She had started describing her plans about how she was going to discover Rachel's utter goal when Panos fell asleep.

An hour later, Monica stood up. _It's now or never_, she thought. She grabbed her still unpacked things and headed towards the main entrance of the house, trying to be as quite as possible. It was harder than it should be, because in the tranquility of the night, every tiny noise sounded unexpectedly loud. She managed to get to the middle of the front lawn when a voice made her stop suddenly and drop the bags she was holding.

"Are you going for a walk?" Chandler asked softly. He was lying on the lawn on his side, one of his hands holding his head. Putting her panic aside, Monica couldn't help but think he looked adorable. She was sure he had noticed her luggage, but strangely his tone had nothing to do with the abrupt or the sarcastic one he adopted when talking to a member of his family.

"Hi. What's up?" She smiled awkwardly.

"Are you going to leave us so soon?" His question revealed a hidden curiosity, but Monica wasn't sure if it was just that.

"No… Why are you saying that?" Monica said the lie she knew would never be believed.

Chandler sat up. "Have we all been a huge let down to you?" He asked. He didn't want to let her leave. He didn't even know why, but he knew one thing: it hurt thinking she was leaving them and going back to his brother.

Monica realized that what he felt was disappointment by something she couldn't figure out. She had to make him understand she wasn't about to leave, even though she had no idea why, given the fact that she was ready to run and never look back a few minutes ago. "No, of course not, you misunderstood!" And just as she was about to take a step towards him, she stumbled over her forgotten suitcase and fell down facing the grass. Chandler chuckled and she clumsily got up staring at him. "No, I wasn't leaving! It's a nice warm night and I thought I would go out for a while. I haven't seen Thessaloniki at night."

Chandler got up and approached her with a confident half-smile plastered on his face. He didn't even know what great power had given him the courage to act like that around her. Maybe it was because he was certain she was way out of his league and more importantly, she was his brother's fiancée, so there was no way she would notice someone like him. "Do you want to see Thessaloniki by night?"

"Well, yeah…" Monica said softly. She was drawn to his expressive eyes as he took a few steps towards her, never breaking eye contact.

"Let's go then!" Chandler said brightly, lifting one of her bags.

"What?" Monica stood there, confused about what was happening.

"Wait for me by the motorcycle." He said as he begun taking her luggage into the house again.

Monica placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "No. You don't understand, I have to-"

"Shhh… Don't speak so loudly, Grandpa will hear us!" He whispered.

Somehow that made Monica relax and she let him go. "Isn't he sleeping?" She wondered.

"Not much. He's afraid he will die in his sleep." He whispered again. He shot her a grin and disappeared into the house. Monica was left standing there smiling to herself.

Meanwhile, Grandpa was up on the balcony of his bedroom, in his pajamas, watching the whole scene, without them realizing it…

**~O~**

Chandler drove with Monica into the darkness until they reached the highway. Monica's arms enveloped Chandler's waist from behind in a loose hug. The city was spread to their right and even though she didn't have the slightest idea where he was taking her, she couldn't recall ever feeling that excited and nervous at the same time.

"Why are we going so slowly?" Monica asked, teasing him.

"Do you want me to drive faster? Aren't you scared?" He asked in a serious tone that showed respect for her needs and concern for her safety.

"I'm not scared of anything or anyone." She said in a playful voice.

Chandler had no doubt that if he didn't have to keep driving he would be frozen in his spot at that moment. Suddenly he was well aware of her body against his, her breasts against his back, her hands on his hips. He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. He hesitated a little before he sped up, surprising Monica. She had to cling to him tighter to keep her balance, but neither of them complaint about that for the rest of the ride.

**~O~**

The summer night was warm and Monica enjoyed the slight breeze that moved her hair once she took off her helmet. What she enjoyed the most though, was Chandler's presence right next to her. They were on something that looked like the remains of a castle; Monica thought she had noticed it from a window of the house. There was a high wall full of turrets that seemed to be following two intersecting roads, one behind them and the other in front of them, with a cylindrical tower on their junction. The wall in front of them reached the city center and was lost into the buildings. Further away there was the sea. It was dark, almost black, but they could distinguish it from the sky, because there the sky wasn't as dark as up at the family's house; it had a blue-orange tint instead, due to the thousands of city lights. What made the sea look alive was the reflection of the crescent moon in the water.

"It's so beautiful up here." Monica whispered, feeling like she would break the magic if she spoke any louder.

"Yeah, it is. You should see the sunset from up here." Chandler said quietly.

"Maybe we can come here another time for a sunset?"

"Maybe…"

They sat on a bench and remained silent for a few minutes.

"How long have you been living in New York?" Chandler asked.

"I grew up in Long Island. I moved to the apartment I live now seven years ago." Monica answered. "What about you?" She asked in return.

"It's a bit complicated story. The point is I live there now." He said skeptically.

Monica saw that he was hesitant to tell her any details, so she decided not to pressure him. They fell in a tense silence again.

"How long have you and Mark known each other?" He asked suddenly, like he was preparing himself for this topic of conversation and finally gathered the courage to initiate it.

"About three months." Monica answered.

"Love at first sight, huh?" He asked, lowering his gaze.

"Yes, that's right." Monica said flatly. It was like living in a daydream moments ago, why did he have to ruin everything be mentioning Mark?

"You know, my brother doesn't really have stable relationships. He's usually quite irresponsible when it comes to dating..." Chandler wanted to let her know that Mark was always like that in his relationships. It wasn't her fault, but he could get bored of her one day and she would be left empty and alone.

"Are you trying to tell me that he could dumb me anytime soon?" Monica shot. She didn't understand the change in his behavior all of a sudden.

"No, forget it. Forget I said anything; it's not my business anyway." Chandler said standing up. He leant over the rail supporting his weight on his hands.

Monica also stood up. She went next to him and put her hand over his. "You're not getting along well with Mark, are you?" She asked.

"We love each other as siblings… from afar." He moved his eyes from the city lights to her hand resting on his.

"You don't really like me either, do you?" Monica tried, almost dreading the answer. She wasn't really Mark's fiancée anyway, she just needed to know if Chandler had any feelings for.

"It doesn't matter. My brother picked you, so I kinda have to like you." Chandler said, remembering the reason that this beautiful night had to end there was his own brother.

"But obviously you don't agree with his choice…" Monica was testing him. She felt an obvious attraction to this man and she was almost certain he felt something for her, too. But she could see it in his eyes and in the way he talked about Mark that it would be extremely difficult –if not impossible- for him to do something that could hurt his brother.

"It doesn't concern me. But if you love each other so much, then you should stay together no matter what. I guess finding your soulmate in this crazy world is not a piece of cake."

"Cake? Why did you have to say cake?" Monica said momentarily forgetting everything about Mark.

"Are you hungry?" Chandler asked and she nodded. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked under the moonlight. "I know a place where we can find some really good ice cream even at this time of the night. Do you want to give it a try?" He smiled.

She offered him a huge grin and, taking him by the hand, she led him to his motorcycle quickly. Her reaction made him laugh a little, but he followed her lead anyway.

Half an hour later, they were back on that exact spot eating a huge bowl of colorful ice cream each. They were there until the moon had gone low enough in the sky to become a dark shade of red. Then they rode back at the house and went to sleep separately, both of them wondering if what they were starting to feel was mutual, both of them knowing that whatever it was, it was wrong.

**~O~**

**A.N.: I've enjoyed the ride on the motorcycle and the beautiful view very much, what about you? :D I almost made Monica whisper in his ear when they were on his motorcycle, but then I thought that they had to wear helmets, I had to keep them safe for the next chapters! ;) I hope you liked this one!**


	4. Chapter 4

A week had gone by since the day Monica and Rachel arrived at Thessaloniki. Rachel spent three days alone in her hotel room relaxing and trying not to think anything that would make her stressed. The only moments that disturbed her peacefulness were the ones Mark called her or when she had to call him herself. She hadn't heard from Monica again, but according to Mark everything was going great at his family's house. Initially, she had told Monica they would switch places only for a few days, but now that the time was passing faster with each tick of the clock, she needed more time.

On the fourth day she called Kostas, the greek guy Monica had been exchanging e-mails with, the one whose phone number she managed to copy from Monica's phone when she was asleep on the plane. Rachel and Kostas saw each other every day for the rest of the week, with Rachel posing as Monica Geller. On their first date, when Kostas asked her where she wanted to go for dinner, Rachel insisted that she was a normal woman, nothing special, and ate everything a normal woman usually ate, so Kostas took her to his favourite place, a greek tavern at the center of the city, and ordered all kinds of the food Monica would approve in a heartbeat, but Rachel found disgusting and ate almost forcibly. Rachel couldn't say the next dates went better than the first one.

Kostas was a down to earth guy and couldn't believe he went out with a woman like Rachel. She was nothing like he had imagined, but he thought that internet conversations form an image not so objective when perceived by a person who is on the other side of the world living a totally different life than their online friend. Of course that worked against him since he was sure he wasn't what 'Monica' had imagined either. He was way more insecure and common for such a gorgeous and confident woman. Had the situation been any different he didn't have a doubt she would dumb him the second she laid eyes on him. He guessed the bond they had created online couldn't be broken that easily.

Rachel, on the other hand, had no idea who she would have to do with when she had first called Monica's e-mail buddy. After the end of their first date she had already been sure that she would never fall in love with that guy. On the contrary, he seemed ready to head that way pretty soon. It was actually quite mean and selfish of Rachel to use a man like that, but she couldn't help it. She wanted –no, she needed- to feel that she was able to make someone fall in love with her for who she was and not just her appearance and the person she was used to being in every social gathering she went to, where she met rich high class people or other models. She hadn't realized that the woman she was trying to be wasn't really her, but the woman she was impersonated instead. She even forgot she was engaged; she only had to deal with that when she talked to Mark on the phone. The first wrong move had been made when they switched places and it had already begun to cause a chain of events that Rachel didn't want and certainly didn't enjoy.

Luckily for Monica, those events seemed to be having the exact opposite effect on her everyday life. When she got on the plane to Greece, she had in mind that she would have at least three weeks to herself and maybe she would go out with Kostas, although it would be casual, not something that wouldn't let her enjoy her vacation as she had imagined. Her ideal vacation included trying every version of every greek food she found, maybe asking the chefs about some of the recipes, and relaxing at a nearby beach under the hot summer sun. Without realizing it, she found herself surrounded by people, most of who treated her as a member of their family and showed her unconditional affection.

Mark's parents had taken her to the city center a few times to shop or just take a walk, but she spent most of the time at the house, playing with Alex and Soho or hanging around the kitchen watching Vera cook. Panos enjoyed seeing his son bonding with his soon-to-be aunt and it was obvious that Monica liked kids –and dogs- very much. Panos often played with them in the garden after he went home from work, against his wife's sarcastic comments about how 'Rachel' didn't fit as their future sister in law.

Monica had found an unexpected friend in Aunt Amelia and she used to sit with her in her room every afternoon before dinner. She felt inexplicably calm around her and she thought that benevolent way of hers was how her dad would behave if he didn't have her mom to consider. Monica had already started feeling more welcomed there than at her own home, the only drawback being Laura's mean behavior which she was able to brush off quickly. Even Grandpa had warmed up to her and she now knew that his rude comments were part of the family meals and weren't directed to her exclusively.

And then there was Chandler. Monica hadn't been alone with him since the first night. She only saw him at dinner where the atmosphere between them was tense. She didn't know if the family had been aware of that, though she was certain that if they were, they would think that Chandler didn't like her at all and that was why she ignored him and tried not to direct a single look towards him. Monica doubted that was the truth, although sometimes she shuddered at the thought that maybe their connection was only in her mind, only because she craved to connect with someone that way. Well, mainly because that someone had been him since the moment their eyes met. She would shake her head to clear her irrational thoughts every time they started taking that direction. She was supposed to be in love with brother, not him. She convinced herself to remember that when everybody was asleep late at night and she wanted nothing more than go to his cabin and just get to know him better. That worked well until the weekend arrived. Noone went to work on Saturday and they all had a late breakfast together. Then each of them took their separate ways around the house, but Monica was under the impression that she would see a lot more of Chandler during those two following days.

After breakfast, Chandler was at the garden digging the ground to plant more vegetables. It worked well for the family to grow their own vegetables. It encouraged an eco-friendly way of living and being self-sufficient. Also, freshly cut vegetables from their own garden tasted more delicious than anything. It was the middle of the morning and the sun was already sending waves of scorching heat towards Chandler. He took his shirt off and continued digging until he heard a voice behind him.

"Do you work here?" Rachel asked.

Chandler just looked at her, drinking some water from a plastic bottle and trying to catch his breath. The intense glare of the sun along with the digging had made him exhausted. Rachel couldn't take her eyes off his bare chest. His sweat was glistening on his upper body, his jeans hung low around his waist and once he took off his hat she saw his wet hair tousled against his forehead and it made him look almost as hot as that summer day. He was definitely more handsome than Kostas. Rachel felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of Monica being able to be around that guy, while she was stuck with one she didn't like much, one with a mediocre appearance. That guy was probably just an uneducated gardener anyway, maybe he didn't even speak any English, so she decided she shouldn't be jealous, she should be thankful instead, because 'her guy' was quite smart even though not so handsome. She jumped into a conclusion that in reality was certainly untrue.

"Do you speak English?" Rachel asked.

"A little." Chandler said.

"Oh good!" Rachel said oblivious to the fact that he was just being sarcastic. "I'm not sure I've come to the right place…"

"Are you looking for someone?" Chandler asked absentmindedly, eager to go back to digging and not having any interest in talking with anyone.

"I'm looking for a friend, Rachel. Does she live here?"

Once Chandler heard her name, his head shot up and suddenly he wanted to know more. "Rachel? Yes, she lives here. Are you…?"

"We are friends; we had met each other back at New York." She lied. They were anything but friends. "Best friends actually." _That way you might give me some useful information about the way the whole situation is going._

"So, you know Mark, too?" Chandler asked. He found it hard to believe that Mark had met a woman like that one and fell in love with 'Rachel' instead, unless he had already dated that one and eventually dumbed her. He believed he would be able to get her to talk a bit about his brother's engagement.

"Of course I know Mark! Do you know him?" Rachel asked looking behind him at the main house. It looked nice and huge.

"Yeah, I've seen him around." Chandler said. Rachel didn't seem to care if he was a family member or not, so he decided to keep playing the game.

"Where can I find Rachel?" Rachel changed the subject.

"She isn't here right now. She has gone for a walk." Chandler answered, amused by the nervousness in Rachel's moves.

Rachel didn't know what to do with herself. She went there, because she was curious about the house and the family, but she also thought it would be a good idea to discuss with Monica a way to make things right again. Maybe the fact that Monica wasn't there made things more complicated instead of the other way around. Or maybe it was a sign that she should leave and let Monica keep living her life for a while.

"Oh, it's a shame we won't get to talk. When you see her, could you tell her to call Monica?" Rachel had made the decision to leave the house as quickly as possible and the change in her tone was just as quick. She became the confident woman she usually was in a matter of seconds, the woman who mostly used a fake tone when talking with people she didn't know how else to handle.

"Monica?" Chandler asked. There was something in the way she said the name that Chandler felt it wasn't quite right.

"Yes, say 'Monica' and she'll understand."

"Chandler." Chandler extended his hand for her to shake.

"Oh, you're not Greek. I thought…" Rachel shook his hand uncertainly. "Nice to meet you."

"So, you're Monica?" Chandler asked again.

"Yeah, we've already established that!" Rachel insisted, to what Chandler just nodded. Rachel felt disappointed, as he wouldn't be useful in finding out any information.

Just as Rachel turned to leave, Chandler asked her a question again. "Have you known Rachel for a long time?"

"Yeah. She a nice person."

"She seems like a nice person, yes. Were you at the engagement?" Chandler asked the moment she turned to leave again.

"Yeah, sure I was! Could Rachel's best friend miss her engagement?" Rachel answered, adopting a cold smile. Chandler couldn't figure out whether the situation was making her uncomfortable or whether there was any other problem. She looked reluctant to give any real details anyway.

Eventually, Rachel left without either of them finding what they were looking for, both of them confused by each other's presence for different reasons.

A couple of hours later, Chandler had finished digging and he was lying on the grass near the main entrance of the property when Monica, Panos and Alex arrived. They had been at a nearby tennis court all morning and they all looked sweaty and tired. Panos went into the house with Alex while Monica tried to walk as slowly as she could to stare at Chandler. He had his shirt open and his hat was resting above his eyes. He looked so manly and cute at the same time. Monica jumped when she heard his voice. Apparently, she had been daydreaming, because Chandler had taken his hat off and sat up without her realizing it. "A woman asked for you while you weren't here."

"A woman? Me?" Monica didn't know anyone in Greece. Could that woman be someone who wanted Rachel instead? Or worse, could that woman be Rachel?

"Why is that so strange? Have the only people who ask for you been men?" Chandler asked with a hint of a smile.

"Well, yes, as far as I can remember!" Monica shot him a playful grin. "Who would that exception be?"

"Her name was Monica. She didn't give me any more details, she said you'd understand." Chandler explained.

"Monica…" Monica's face had gone pale. It really was Rachel who had been there… "Did she say what she was looking me for?"

"No, she just said she wanted you to call her." Chandler wondered about Monica's behavior. One moment she was calm and flirty, and the other she became distant and formal. He got up and with two steps he was directly in front of her. He touched her bare arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, she didn't say anything else." He said softly.

Monica took a deep breath trying not to let her emotions loose and pretended her skin didn't burn where his fingertips were resting. She stared into his eyes and remembered why she was fighting with herself to stay away from him. It was because she could get lost in those eyes unless she tried really hard to control it. "What do you mean? What else could she have said?" She dared to ask.

"I don't know. You seem worried for some reason, so I thought you should know she didn't say anything else." Chandler said. He realized how close they were standing and withdrew his fingers slowly, moving away from her personal space. Suddenly he felt self-conscious of the way he looked. He had been digging all morning and he definitely needed a shower. He noticed that she didn't look that much better. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail and sweat was all over her face and clothes. She looked so cute. The thought that Mark would probably never want to see her like that saddened him. He smiled sympathetically at her and she looked even more perplexed.

"What are you smiling about?" Monica asked, a little annoyed.

"Hey, why are you getting all defensive? I'm just being your messenger!" Chandler complained.

"So, did you like Monica?" Monica shot.

"Have I said I liked Monica?" Chandler shot back.

"No, but you can't easily hide such things. If you want to, I can arrange for you two to meet!" She wasn't talking about him and 'Monica' any more.

"I wouldn't say no if she was up for it!" He smiled widely at her and headed to the house. His heart was beating like crazy and it was hard for him to contain his enthusiasm. He almost made a weird dance he used to make whenever he felt that excited. His facial expression changed dramatically once he reminded himself the reason this should not keep happening: his brother. He couldn't show Monica how much he liked her, not only because she was probably the love of Mark's life, but also because it was possible that he had misunderstood all the signs completely. She had Mark, why would she want him instead? She was probably just being friendly to him. Chandler wouldn't find it unreasonable if Mark had actually asked her to be nice to him when she had the chance in order to boost his self-esteem a little. He had no idea that Monica had the same goofy grin on her face as she watched him walking away.

Later that day, Monica had an unexpected call from Phoebe. They hadn't found the chance to talk properly for the whole week and Monica really missed her friend.

"Hi! How are you! Has anything interesting happened? Have you talked to Rachel? What else is going on?" Phoebe almost screamed with excitement.

"Oh, Pheebs, I can't say that everything is fine… First of all, I'm not eating properly; actually noone is! We eat salads and vegetables all the time! Not new and interesting recipes like I'd wanted to try here… And I'm so afraid to tell them anything, so I keep starving. And I haven't had the chance to talk to the queen Rachel since she keeps hanging up on me. She was looking for me earlier today and now she won't take my calls! Can you believe this? Can you believe I got myself in this position?"

"No, I can't believe this! Monica, do you even know how many years of jail time will you get if your trial takes place in Greece?"

"Why would my trial take place in Greece? And now I'm having a trial?" Monica asked incredulously. She wished she never had to deal with such an awful situation, although she was sure she would deserve it if it happened. "Anyway, how are things there, Pheebs?"

"Everything's fine! 'Chocolate and Cheese' is fine, I've managed to cater for two birthday parties so far! Mark is also fine, I saw him leaving the gym earlier!"

"Mark? Why would I care about Mark? Do you still watch him every day like we used to?" Monica couldn't hide the smile in her voice.

Phoebe sensed that something interesting had happened to her friend since the last time they talked and that was her cue to ask her. "Monica, has something happened?"

"I think I may have a crush on Chandler." Monica blurted out as quietly as she could.

"Who's Chandler?" Phoebe asked.

"Mark's brother." Monica answered instantly.

"Oh my God! You have a crush on your brother in law?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

"Are you serious? He's not my brother in law! And I'm not seeing him as a brother of any kind, believe me!"

"So, what will you do?"

"I think I'm going to do something the next time I see him." Monica sounded determined.

The next time didn't came at dinner as Monica had expected, as Chandler didn't show. So, once more she decided not to go look for him in his cabin. After dinner she went straight to her bedroom, unsatisfied with the food, and was surprised at what she saw. A single red rose was resting in the middle of her pillow. A smile that reached her eyes appeared on her face as she dragged the soft rose slowly from her nose to her neck._ Maybe that's a sign that he wants me, too. _She lied on the bed and fell asleep with the rose in her hands. She had no idea that a few rooms away the whole family, except Aunt Amelia and Chandler, had gathered to eat the pizzas they had ordered, because they, too, felt like they were starving. Their intentions were anything but vicious; Vera just wanted to keep her promise to Mark and not let Rachel eat anything that didn't fit in her diet.

It was about three in the morning when Monica woke up with a start. The rose had fallen beside the bed and she had completely forgotten about it, trying to figure out what had woken her up. Suddenly her stomach growled and realized she was hungry. She hadn't had cravings like those since she was a little fat girl, living with her parents! She decided to comply to her body's orders for once and went to the kitchen.

She was sitting on the cool floor in her tiny summer pajamas eating a large piece of chocolate cake, the only light in the room coming from the open fridge. Everyone in the house was asleep at that time of the night, so she wasn't afraid that someone would see her.

Chandler chose that time to go into the house. As he walked through the front door he noticed a faint light coming from the kitchen. He followed it and chuckled at what he saw. Monica stared at him wide-eyed and once her shock wore off, she offered him some cake. He denied her offer and headed to the living room. Monica left her plate on the floor and run off to the living room, too. She realized that was the next time she was thinking about, so she had to do something.

"What are you doing up so late?" Monica asked, leaning on the nearest wall. There was a cabinet full of drinks there and apparently Chandler was trying to choose one.

"I couldn't sleep and I needed a drink." Chandler answered without looking at her.

"Could I have one, too?" Monica asked in the most seductive tone she could manage, without being too obvious. Next think she knew she was right beside him with a glass in her hands. She didn't even realize what she was doing; she was so nervous that her body seemed to have its own mind.

Chandler stared at her for what seemed to be really long minutes. With a crestfallen look on his face, he murmured 'goodnight' and left the house.

Monica was left alone and unsatisfied, but she thought it served her right. She was there by mistake; why should she expect something that wonderful to happen to her? Her frustration showed the following morning during breakfast and her behavior made Mark's parents worry about her.

"Just look at her!" Laura said with gritted teeth as she spotted Monica rolling on her grass with Alex and Soho.

"Poor thing… She must be tired of being here all the time…" George said looking at them, too, through the living room window.

"What are you talking about, dad? She has everything here! She eats, she sleeps, she has every comfort she could ask for!" Laura said angrily.

"Laura, your father is right. Did you see her at breakfast, George? She almost didn't touch any of the food and she is so skinny…" Vera said, concerned.

"Yes, I noticed that and I can understand it. A young lady like her should be somewhere having a good time, not staying at our family home all day when it is summer and she could be at the beach!"

"I don't know, dad. She seems just fine 'playing' with my son." Laura obviously didn't approve that way of entertainment for Alex. She wouldn't approve anything that would make him dirty and Alex did exactly the opposite of his mother's wishes, touching Soho and playing in the garden all day.

"Honey, it's the only time of the day she looks genuinely happy." Panos said.

"What about our beach house at Chalkidiki?" George said.

"That's a great idea! She would love it if she could be there for a couple of days!" Vera said, excited with the idea.

"Great, just give her the keys. I think it will be good for everyone if she left us for a few days." Laura said wistfully. _Or maybe she could leave us forever._

"What? We can't send her there alone!" Laura said.

"Of course not! What would Mark say if we left her alone, even if it was just for a couple of days?" George agreed with his wife.

"We should take her there. We should take Alex and spent the next days there, the four of us." Panos spoke softly to Laura.

"Are you kidding me? You will be extremely busy during the next days. You have to go to the factory, take the kid to his music lessons, take the dog to the vet, take the car to the mechanic-" Laura would have continued with her mental list of chores in an authoritarian tone if her husband hadn't stopped her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I will be extremely busy." Panos said calmly, just a hint of sarcasm oozing from his words.

"I can make a sacrifice and take her there myself!" Grandpa said entering the living room.

"Dad, you will stay right where you are!" Vera told him firmly. "I have to be here to take care of dad and George, so it has to be someone else…" She continued, pretending to think hard, while she secretly knew the answer to her own question.

"What about Chandler?" George asked.

"Of course! Chandler! He's the one who can take her to Chalkidiki for a couple of days!" Vera exclaimed, behaving like the idea had been her husband's all along.

"That's not the point. The point is: will he bring her back?" Grandpa said absentmindedly.

"Who dares announce that to Chandler?" Laura wondered about the detail they were all afraid of. It was common knowledge among those five members of the family that Chandler didn't like 'Rachel' at all; in fact they thought he disliked her even more than Laura did. All eyes rested on Vera. Evidently, she would be the one to tell Chandler.

**A.N.: Thanks for the reviews about the previous chapter! So, that was the fourth one which I hoped you enjoyed! Did you like something particular in it? Did something annoy you? Is the Mondler progression too slow? Please leave a review and tell me, or else I won't be able to know what your thoughts are!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Freedom. _It was the only word Monica could think of to describe her state of mind while she was riding on the back of Chandler's motorcycle. The warm breeze caressed her bare arms and made the loose hair at the nape of her neck tingle her skin. The sun was high in the sky, but the heat of its rays couldn't be compared to the heat Chandler's body emitted against hers. She held on to him tightly like a child would cling on a safety blanket, with the pretense of needing to do that so she wouldn't lose her balance. She hoped it wouldn't become too obvious to him that she longed to stay on that position forever if that was what it took to be with him. Her body, her mind, her heart, her whole being screamed that right beside him was where she belonged, although she couldn't comprehend how it was possible to have such a strong attraction for a man she hardly knew. All those feelings were flooding her head and, along with the speed, they gave her a rush of adrenaline and a sense of independence. She had convinced herself to push everything else at the back of her mind and just feel.

Monica watched the landscape changing as they were moving further away from the city. The array of the high buildings gradually gave its place to much smaller houses in little villages among the sides of several green hills. She couldn't see the sea for a while and, just as she began wondering where they were heading to, it reappeared at their right and remained there for the rest of their trip.

After about two hours they reached their destination. It was a village built on the side of a low mountain full of tall trees. The mountain's base was so close to the golden beach that the sea had a turquoise hint due to the green of the forest. Still, Monica had estimated that the place they had stopped at was about fifteen minutes walking distance from the beach. They got off the motorcycle and Monica followed Chandler into the courtyard of a traditional house. It was much smaller than the one in the city, but Monica found it even more beautiful. It had old wooden windows and doors and little balconies that gave it a vintage look and made it a perfect fit to its surroundings.

"So…" Chandler began once they got in the house. "You are sleeping in there." He pointed to a room at their left. "The bathroom is right next to that room." He said as he walked through the living room. "Here is the kitchen. There are only beers in the fridge." He moved to one of the windows and opened it. The place became bright instantly. "We're having breakfast at the pension next door." He turned to look at her and his authoritative tone got softer as he said the last word. "Okay?"

Monica, who had been following him the whole time, looked at him amused. "Yes, sir!" She made a move like she saluted him. Chandler smiled at that, but Monica noticed he tried to hide it. He then went into another room and shut the door.

Monica looked around. The living room and the kitchen were small but cozy. The couch was covered by sheets, apparently to prevent the dust from staying on it. She folded the sheets neatly and sank on the comfy couch. The dreamy ride was over and suddenly she was back in a weird reality. Everything had happened so fast. One moment she was playing with Alex and Soho in the garden and in the next she found herself going away with an inexplicably angry Chandler. Vera had insisted on them going away to the family's beach house, so that Monica could relax at the beach for a couple of days and return to the city refreshed and happy. Monica had agreed automatically, without giving much thought to the fact that her motives were wrong. She wanted to be alone with Chandler; maybe she would manage to make him open up to her a little. She knew that if the family ever found that out, they would all become suspicious. But she couldn't help wondering whether Chandler's behavior would change once he was away from his family. He was distant most of the time, but she had realized that he softened a lot when he tried to comfort her or when she used some kind of sarcasm that he approved of. She had to know if the attraction she felt for him was mutual. If she revealed the truth to him, there was a possibility that he would hate her and she wasn't ready to deal with something like that; she needed more time with him.

Chandler had entered the room Mark and he used to sleep in when they stayed at that house. He lay on the bed and covered his face with his hands. It was around noon and he already felt extremely tired. He was tired of being second best to everyone. His mom had gone to his cabin after breakfast and practically ordered him to take 'Rachel' to the beach house, because apparently she looked miserable and Mark wouldn't be pleased if he found out she wasn't having fun. It was all about Mark again. Had his mom ever thought about Chandler's feelings? No.

Chandler was certain he had made everyone believe that he didn't like 'Rachel' at all. It was obvious by his mom's nervous moves while she was talking to him. Also, she acted like she was pleading with him, like it wasn't an order, and that annoyed Chandler even more. The way she talked though, made Chandler believe that saying no wasn't an option unless he wanted his whole family to look disapprovingly at him for days. So, he would have to spend time alone with 'Rachel'. Sweet gorgeous clumsy adorable 'Rachel'. Also his brother's future wife 'Rachel'. He had tried really hard to ignore her, to show everyone that she didn't matter to him, and it seemed that his plan had worked well with the family, but not with 'Rachel' herself. He sensed that she knew he was attracted to her, otherwise she wouldn't be teasing him every time she had the chance, would she? She couldn't actually like him when she had Mark to compare him with and that somehow hurt even more than his mom's behavior. He decided that the only logical explanation to 'Rachel''s behavior was that she wanted to make fun of him about his feelings for her. So, he wouldn't let her. The only problem was that he wasn't sure he would be able to keep being indifferent to her…

**~X~**

About 120 kilometers away, Rachel was in her hotel room thinking about everything in her life. The first tears had fallen an hour ago and she hadn't found the strength to stop them yet. She had probably destroyed the best thing she ever had: her relationship with her fiancé. She was close to kissing Kostas the previous night. She hadn't really wanted to, but it was clear that he did and he looked so cute and vulnerable that she felt the need to please him. It was a confusing feeling for her, because she didn't remember the last time she had wanted to please someone. Whatever she had always done, she had done it for herself. That realization hit her the moment their lips almost touched and she backed out. Kostas had to be thinking either that she wasn't attracted to him at all or that she was kind of prude the way she was acting. The truth was that Kostas didn't matter to her. She wasn't even sure if Mark mattered. The only thing that mattered was her pathetic life and her ridiculous actions, because those actions had driven her to that damn city where nobody knew her, where the rumors about it being 'one of the most romantic places in Greece' were nothing but lies, where she lost herself completely or maybe found a little of her old self hidden under tons of layers of glamour and hypocrisy. But she had never liked that old Rachel; she had been weak and immature. She could get hurt so easily then and that was why she had had to change. She had no intention of becoming that defenseless creature again. She had to take her life back. And to do that, she had to get in contact with Monica. After she had managed to stop sobbing, she was about to reach for her phone when it rang. It was Mark.

"Hi honey." She said in the sweetest voice she could manage.

"Hey baby! Are you there yet?" Mark asked happily.

Rachel lost her speech for a moment. Where was 'there'? "Almost there." She answered hoping he would buy her lie.

"Is it just the two of you?"

"Uhmm… Yes, of course, who else could be with us?" _Also, who is the person I'm supposed to be with?_

"How come you're not there yet? What time did you leave? And how come you can be on the phone? Aren't you traveling?" Mark was curious about their trip. He surely asked a lot of questions, but he hoped Rachel wouldn't get the feeling that he didn't trust her.

"We left early, but there's a lot of traffic. Honey, I can't hear you, I'll call you back when we're there, okay?" Rachel hung up immediately. That confusing phone conversation added up to another reason for her to call Monica. A lot of unanswered calls later, she decided to try the family house number Mark had given her.

"Goodmorning." Vera answered in Greek.

Rachel hesitated a little. "Goodmorning." The woman on the other end of the line didn't seem to mind the change in language, so Rachel continued with more confidence. "Could I speak with Rachel, please?"

"I'm afraid Rachel isn't here, dear, she went to Chalkidiki with her brother-in-law for a few days, we have a beautiful beach house at Marmaras, it's right next to the sea! Who are you?" Vera said excitedly without taking a breath. The next thing she heard was a dial tone.

Rachel's eyes had widened in shock. She was supposed to be at some place on the beach with Mark's brother and Monica didn't even try to inform her about that. Mark would have definitely caught her lying to him if he hadn't asked her if they were 'there' yet. At least now she knew were 'there' was. She silently thanked the person who gave her all those details without even being asked.

"That bitch Monica will destroy my life…" She said with gritted teeth. Deep down she knew she was the one who deserved to be called a bitch, but nobody had called her that before and she would make sure nobody would. She searched the internet for the place the woman on the phone had mentioned. "Greeks have so weird names for their places…" She said to herself.

**~X~**

Monica checked out the kitchen. Chandler had been right; there really were only beers in the fridge. There wasn't anything edible in the rest of the kitchen either. Monica had an idea. She took her things into the room Chandler had indicated, left a note to Chandler on the kitchen table and headed out. She had no idea where to go, so she followed the main road which led her to a square with a huge broad-leaved tree in the middle. There were lots of little shops and taverns around it. She could smell grilled meat and fish in the air. She noticed some people looking at her with curiosity. An old man, who was standing at the entrance of a nearby tavern with the help of a wooden cane, shouted something to her in Greek.

"I'm sorry, what?" Monica asked.

The old man turned towards the interior of the tavern and mumbled something to someone Monica couldn't see. Seconds later, a younger man appeared and smiled at her.

"Hello! Welcome to Marmaras! I'm Giannis and this is my grandfather." He told Monica in perfect English, but with a Greek accent.

"Hello!" Monica said happily. She was glad a stranger was that kind to her.

"The tree you're looking at is a plane tree. It gets bigger as it gets older. This one is about two hundred years old."

Monica looked at the tree with amazement as Giannis continued. "A plane tree with tourist shop and taverns around it is how most villages' squares look like here, in Greece. Where are you from?"

"New York. What did your grandfather told you about me before?" Monica asked curiously.

"Oh, New York! I wish I could go there some time! My grandfather told me there was a new cute woman out here who didn't speak any Greek and I had to check her out." Giannis chuckled.

Monica smiled at both men. Giannis talked again. "This is only part of the village. If you continue walking on this road you'll be at the port in about five minutes. There are more shops and places to eat there, but feel free to visit ours whenever you want!"

"Thanks." Monica said. "How do you say 'thanks' in Greek?"

"Efcharisto."

"Efcharisto!" Monica tried and Giannis smiled at her. His grandfather looked amused. Monica scolded herself for not learning more about the greek culture while she was there. So much was going on that she had forgotten all about it, which was unusual to her since she used to make little researches about the places she would visit. However, her focus had been somewhere else this time. A person who had consisted majorly in her focus had taken her there on his motorcycle an hour ago.

Monica found a grocery store and bought what she needed to cook a recipe she hadn't tried before. She remembered Vera once cooking some zucchinis stuffed with rice and she had poured a warm mix of lemon and eggs on them. It tasted great and everyone in the family had loved it. It was one of the few proper meals she had since the day she had arrived at Thessaloniki. She thought about trying cooking that for her and Chandler.

**~X~**

"There are lots of cabs over there, let's take one to go to the hotel!" Rachel said as she dragged Kostas along with her. They had just arrived at the bus station of the village of Marmaras. Rachel was determined to find Monica and show her she had met Kostas and she was having a great time with him. She was also dying to know what was going on and why Monica was there with Mark's brother. All previous thoughts of how that whole story was wrong were gone from her mind and she intended to confront Monica the moment she saw her.

Luckily for Rachel, Kostas was incredibly easy to convince. He got really excited once Rachel suggested them going away for a few days. She told him she had seen pictures of several places in Chalkidiki and she wanted to go there. Kostas immediately called to his work to take a few days of and early in the afternoon they took the bus to Marmaras.

Rachel had been looking out of the bus window during the ride and she marveled about the landscape's beauty. Mark had been right; Greece was indeed an amazing place when it came to beautiful scenery. Kostas looked amazed, too, although he had been to some other parts of Chalkidiki before.

When they arrived at the hotel they both rushed to their rooms. Kostas didn't seem to be the kind of guy who forced a girl to sleep with him, so Rachel hadn't been surprised when he got them separate rooms, since they hadn't even kissed.

Rachel had insisted going to the beach after leaving their luggage at the hotel and, although Kostas seemed reluctant, they had agreed to go for an afternoon swim. Rachel was anxious to get ready for the swim; she knew it would take her a while to put on her bikini and apply sunscreen on her body. Kostas, on the other hand, was thinking about not wearing his swimming suit. He knew everyone would find him ridiculous if he went for a swim in his clothes, but he was so embarrassed about his body that he didn't want to be seen in an article of clothing that was as big as his boxers, especially by 'Monica'. Her body was perfect, but his was far from it. The truth was that he had gained some weight during the last couple of months, but he was nowhere near overweight; he was just an average-looking guy with an average body. His insecurity though made him think 'Monica' was out of his league.

**~X~**

Chandler woke up totally disoriented. He smelled something that resembled the intoxicating smell of his mom's cooked meals. His stomach growled and he felt the need to follow the smell; he was sure he was dreaming and it would guide him back to the family house at Thessaloniki. He opened his eyes and after a minute his mind was clear and he was curious about the origins of the great smell. He went into the kitchen and what he saw took him by surprise. 'Rachel' was there, wearing an apron, and adding the last details to a meal that looked delicious. She was smiling slightly to herself and she had an unusual glint in her eyes. He had never seen her so relaxed. Suddenly she turned around and jumped the moment she saw him standing there.

"Chandler. Next time give people some kind of warning!" She quipped.

"I can schedule for the church bells to start ringing in order to inform you about my upcoming entrance. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said smiling.

"It's okay. And if church bells were actually ringing, I think the whole village would get scared, not just me!" She said. She felt more at ease with him already. After so many days of them barely talking and him being distant, their friendly chat was a pleasant change.

"Did you cook this?" Chandler went closer to the meal she had prepared.

"Yeah… Do you want to eat?" Monica asked, unsure of what to expect.

"Of course, let's do that!" Chandler said almost too enthusiastically. _Screw the 'ignoring her' plan. I'm just being friendly, that's all!_

"This is amazing!" Chandler said as the first bite was quickly followed by the second.

"Thanks." Monica smiled gratefully. "I wasn't sure if I could make its taste as good as your mom's…"

"This might be even better than hers! Seriously! Don't tell her I mentioned that though." He added with a stuffed mouth.

While they were eating, Monica described her walk through the village and told him she definitely wanted to go there again later that day. Chandler was hesitant and told her she could go if she wanted, but he wasn't sure what he would do.

_That's better than nothing._ Monica thought.

**~X~**

"I didn't know you could cook." Chandler said as he started helping her with the dishes.

"Actually… I love cooking!" Monica realized Chandler still thought she was a model and he had no idea cooking was what she did for a living. "I can cook again now that we are here."

"That would be… okay." Chandler said in a serious tone. They continued washing the dishes silently for a couple of minutes.

"What's wrong?" Monica asked suddenly.

"What?" Chandler was surprised by her firm tone.

"What's wrong with you? One second you're this friendly guy I can hang out with and the next thing I know you're angrily driving away with me when it's obvious you don't want to! And now you're being friendly again and just when I think it's going to be nice staying here with you, you go back to being distant! Do you not like me at all? Is that it? Because if that's the truth, tell me now, so I can treat you the way you treat me and not cook you delicious professional meals." Monica didn't intent to have that kind of outburst, but she couldn't help herself.

Chandler stared at her in shock. He had no idea he could affect her that much. If he wanted to keep having a brotherly relationship, even from afar, with Mark, he had to try explaining himself to her. "I'm sorry." He said quietly looking down. "It's not that I don't like you, it's just complicated… My relationship with my family… It's not that great…" He couldn't tell her about his feelings for her, so he decided to share something else with her. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was part of it, an important part of it.

Monica sensed a lot of pain in his confession, a pain that wasn't meant to be seen by most people. She lowered her head in order to make him lock eyes with her. When he looked up, her face held a sympathetic expression that made his heart melt.

"You can tell me." She said softly regretting the harsh words she had said to him, thinking that she had probably hurt him, too.

"Maybe another time." He said and gave her a tiny smile. The way she seemed to care about him scared him a little. He wasn't used to people taking the time to listen to him talk about his problems.

"Okay." Monica had let it go, but she made a mental note to ask him again some time. She guessed had a lot more in common with Chandler than she had originally thought. She also realized that there were so many things she didn't know about him, so many things he didn't know about her.

Maybe that trip was taken to serve the sole purpose of two possible soulmates getting to know each other better. Too bad that the universe wasn't ready to let them indulge in a dream yet…

**~X~**

**A.N.: Thank you so much for all the reviews! It took me so long to write this chapter and as it turns out I'm not really satisfied with it… But it moves the story a bit forward, so I decided to post it without writing anything else. Will Monica and Rachel meet? What's happening back at the family house? Does Chandler have any secrets? Wait until next chapter to learn about all those things! **

**I wanted to post links to some pictures, but I'm not sure if that works here... Any help would be appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N.: I just want to clarify something. When Chandler is thinking about Monica I write 'Rachel', because he knows Monica as Rachel, so it makes sense that he thinks about her this way. The same thing happens when Kostas is thinking about Rachel; I write 'Monica'. I tried to fix any name mistakes at Chapters 5, so I hope everything is clear now.**

**-/-**

Phoebe had been on her way to work when she spotted Mark having breakfast at an elegant place; it was something between a diner and a restaurant. Without really thinking about it, she went in there and approached him.

"Hi! I guess you don't remember me. I'm Phoebe!" She hadn't heard from Monica for more than 24 hours and the last thing they had discussed was her crush on Mark's brother. She thought it was a good idea to talk to him; maybe she would find out something interesting about his relationship with Rachel, something that might be useful to Monica.

"Umm Phoebe?" Mark said unsure taking his eyes of the morning paper for just a second.

Phoebe looked around them. The place was so elegant she was sure they would throw her out if they noticed her being there, let alone sitting on one of the tables. She remained standing next to the table and turned her attention to Mark again. "Yes, Phoebe, I'm Rachel's friend." She lied and she noticed the confused look on his face before she continued. "I mean, I'm friends with Monica who knows Rachel. I mean…" Phoebe bit her tongue in order to prevent herself from saying anything else. She had already mentioned Monica's name; she shouldn't share more information. The plan was to get some information from him, not the other way around.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can never remember any names… Or faces…" Mark said absentmindedly. He was aware that his fiancé was quite popular and he wasn't in the mood to exchange pleasantries with a stranger who looked a bit weird in general.

"Well, I rarely forget anyone, but that's okay!" Phoebe said in fake cheerfulness. "So, tell me, how are you? How is Rachel?"

"I'm fine. Rachel is fine, too, she is with my family getting to know all of them." Mark said.

"So, is she getting along well with your family?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, really well. Actually, they like her very much." Mark answered and looked at her suspiciously. She probably wanted to gossip, but her presence gave him an uneasy feeling.

"Of course they would, she's a real treasure!" If Mark hadn't focused his attention back to his paper, he would see Phoebe making a disgusted face.

"Yeah… She's at our beach house at the moment. My brother took her there for a few days." He said absentmindedly.

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock. "That's great!" She said trying to suppress a grin

"Yeah… I'm going to Greece, too, in about two weeks. Rachel doesn't know anything about my visit. I'm going to surprise her!" He said with a smile.

Phoebe's grin was gone. She thought she hadn't seen anyone talking so indifferently about their other half. There was a possibility she would be sorry for Rachel if it wasn't for the panic she felt about the new found situation. She had to warn Monica about Mark's upcoming surprise visit. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled!" She said emphasizing the last word. "I have to go now. Bye." And with that she was gone. Mark was left staring after her for a moment, before he went back to reading his paper.

**-/-**

"Chandler?" Monica knocked softly on the door. He had disappeared into his room not long after their conversation.

"Yeah…" Chandler answered quietly.

"Is it okay to come in?" Monica said haltingly.

It sounded like he was folding some papers before he answered. "Sure…"

"Hey. Do you want to go to the beach?" She asked him once she took a step into the room. He was sitting on his bed and there were no papers to be seen.

"Umm… I can take you there if you want to. But I umm…" Chandler said avoiding her eyes.

"Come on, Chandler, it will be fun! Why did we come here anyway?" She said, instantly forgetting that their presence there wasn't their decision. Chandler looked up at her and the raising of his eyebrows reminded her of the real reason behind their trip. "I know we came here, because your mom wanted us to, but we're here now and it won't be the same if you don't come." She phrased carefully.

"It will be the same whether I'm at the beach with you or not, believe me." Chandler mumbled, lowering his eyes again.

"Please?" Monica said in a tone that Chandler could only describe as 'down-to-earth adorable pleading' in his head. When he looked up, she had the cutest smile he had seen in a while. He sighed and couldn't suppress a smile himself.

"You know what? You're getting dangerous!" He said seriously as he got up.

Monica's smile widened and she took his hand and dragged him out of the room cheerfully.

"Eating big meals surely gives you a lot of energy!" Chandler said teasingly, but those words didn't have the light effect he though they would. Monica had stopped abruptly making him fall directly into her back. He immediately let go of her hand and placed his palms on her shoulders to keep his balance. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You really don't have a reason to feel uncomfortable about eating." He said feeling the palpable tension between them. "Or you do?" He couldn't help but asking. He regretted it as soon as he did. "Crap. Shut up Chandler." He said to himself angrily and run a hand through his hair. Monica turned around slowly to face him. Her face didn't show any of the regret and anger he thought it would, but he could detect some sadness in her eyes.

"Come on, let's go" She said simply.

She headed for the door and stopped again when she realized that Chandler wasn't following her. "What?"

"I have to go and put on my swimming suit if you don't want people to throw rocks -or worse, fish- at us!" Chandler said with an unsure grin.

"Well, if that happened, we could cook another big meal to give us both more energy, right?" Monica said and her tone implied that she didn't hold any grudge about what he had said. Maybe they could find some time to talk about more serious matters later. Chandler decided he would try to relax and maybe even have some fun.

**-/-**

Rachel walked to the beach alone. Kostas had insisted on going there first to rent an umbrella and a couple of sunbeds for Rachel and him. Luckily for Rachel, the hotel they were staying was right in front of the beach, so she didn't have to walk a long distance alone. She hated having to go to public places alone; she felt uncomfortable and she was sure everyone would notice her and think she didn't have anyone to share those experiences with. As soon as she reached the beach, a familiar and comforting feeling reached her soul and she felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot sand below her feet or the sun that was still shining above her. When she was little, her family used to take trips to the beach every summer. It was one of the happiest and most relaxing memories of her life. Right that moment, when her feet stepped on the grains of sand for the first time and the sea was so close she could smell it, she felt like she was a better version of herself.

She started looking for Kostas and suddenly she felt touched that someone would be so thoughtful to want to find a place for her to sit first, so that she wouldn't have to look for herself. She had no idea what Kostas had told her was just an excuse to cover his actual plan. He would find a place for her to sit, but then he would do something else to prevent her from seeing his body in a swimsuit.

Rachel had gotten closer to the seashore when she heard Kostas' voice. "Monica! I'm here!"

Kostas looked at her being completely disoriented and chuckled to himself. He found her to be extremely cute and gorgeous and he still couldn't believe he had taken a trip with someone like her. "Look at your left and a little lower than where you're looking…" He instructed.

Rachel's eyes wandered at the direction he had mentioned and she gasped when she noticed his head peeping out of the sand. There wasn't a visible inch of his body; it was all buried in the sand, but his head protruded, making him look like a floating head.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked in a high voice.

"I'm sand-bathing! My doctor said I should definitely do it whenever I go to the beach. You see, I have rheumatoid arthritis…" Kostas lied.

Rachel didn't seem to notice and undressed, leaving only her bikini on. "Don't you want to go for a swim? I thought that's why we came here!" She complained.

"You can go if you want! I have to stay here for now." Kostas said, almost regretting his decision after seeing her body in a tiny bikini. She looked even better than he had imagined.

"Okay! I'm going in!" Rachel said enthusiastically and run into the sea.

**-/-**

As soon as Monica and Chandler had settled on the beach, Chandler took off his T-shirt and went into the sea. He had swum away before Monica even had the chance to get out of her clothes. She laid her towel on one of the sunbeds they had rented, sat down and began applying sunscreen on herself while watching Chandler swim clumsily, but quite fast towards a small isle that could be seen from the beach. She walked until her toes touched the wet sand. Light imperceptible waves brushed her feet and she found herself relax at the combination of the warm sun, the cool water and the image of Chandler swimming.

Chandler couldn't decide if he was supposed to be in heaven or hell. Just as he got determined to stay as far away from 'Rachel' as he could, something happened –usually something she did or said- that make him want to be around her even more than before. He had swum away as fast as he could so that he wouldn't have to deal with any of his body's reactions while watching her strip to her sexy bikini. He hadn't seen all of it, but he could see a red cord tied at the back of her neck and the scenarios he imagined because of that tiny piece of swimwear were far from friendly. The cool water of the sea was a perfect substitute for the cold shower he had needed. While he was swimming even further from the beach, the water was getting colder and eventually had the needed effect on him. Then he made the mistake to stop swimming for a moment and look back. She was standing at the seashore and looking towards him. He couldn't distinguish many details of her face or her body, but what he was able to see was enough to drive him crazy with desire. He knew he had already become so weak when it came to her.

Just as Monica's body had gotten used to the temperature of the water and she had finally managed to tear her eyes off Chandler and enjoy the wonderful feeling of being light and content just by floating in the sea, she felt tow strong arms grab her waist from behind and pull her a little deeper. Monica panicked for a second, but relaxed visibly when she span around and realized she was in Chandler's arms. They smiled at each other fondly before it dawned on them that they were extremely close to one another. By the next look they shared, they were both very aware of the state of their clothing which was close to non-existing. Suddenly, Monica made an awkward move to place her feet on the bottom of the ocean without knowing that she couldn't reach it. That resulted in her making an unexpected dive into the water which caused Chandler to start laughing uncontrollably in amusement. Monica resurfaced coughing a little, but she recovered quickly and threw a reasonable amount of water at Chandler who kept laughing hard. They looked like kids who weren't able to express themselves in any other way. Just being with each other into the water was enough for them. No words were needed. The inevitable playful little touches, the goofy grins, the freedom they felt, added up to the ten most carefree and enjoyable minutes they had had for a really long time.

**-/-**

Kostas' eyes remained glued to Rachel until a fluffy dog got right in front of his face. He used every word he could think of that might get the dog away before it performed some funny business on his face. Once the dog was finally gone, thankfully having left his face untouched and clean, he turned to watch Rachel again. However, that time what he saw wasn't at all pleasant. Two young handsome men, with biceps the size of his thighs and abdominals that looked harder than rocks, were swimming near 'Monica' and saying something to her. He couldn't see her expression clearly, but he believed she would rather spend her time with men like them than him. He had made a fool of himself enough for that day; he should at least take her suggestion and follow her into the sea. _Let her think whatever she wants about my awful body. That's all I have and whoever doesn't like it shouldn't be with me. _He slowly began to get himself out of the sand. By the time his body was uncovered, 'Monica' was out of the sea and didn't look pleased. She took a seat at one of the sunbeds Kostas had gotten for them and she seemed to be trying not to look at the direction of the two men who were still checking her out.

"Have they done anything to you?" Kostas asked her, worried.

"Not really. They had flirting looks on their faces and told me some stuff in Greek that of course I couldn't understand and when I tried to tell them to stop they kept going on and on." Rachel answered honestly.

"Aren't you used to guys making passes at you?" Kostas asked. He was already beating himself up for not being there with her. Maybe he had been wrong and she was really into him after all.

Rachel thought of his question carefully. "It's not like all of them flirt with me." She knew that the majority of the men that met her, even the ones that only saw her passing by on the street, did try to flirt with her and she was sure the ones that didn't were just too afraid to do so. She didn't really enjoy all the flirting, because the way every guy approached her showed her that they were only going after her looks and no one wanted to know her for who she really was. That was what kept her by Kostas' side; he was so sweet to her and she was sure nothing would change if she grew a mustache or a second head. "Those two just were a little creepy." She continued.

"Next time I'll come with you." Kostas assured her.

"Okay. I'll go to that beach bar to buy a soda. I'll buy one for you, too." Rachel smiled at him and headed to the bar.

**-/-**

Monica and Chandler got out of the water panting. They reached their umbrella and once their laughter had subsided, they avoided looking into each other's eyes. They both sat on their sunbeds and, while Monica was trying to find something smart to say, Chandler took a pen and a big envelope with some loose pieces of paper out of his bag and started writing something. Monica stared at him with curiosity. She recalled having had the impression that he had been writing something when he was in his room and hid it as she went in. The way he was writing showed that he knew exactly what he wanted to express on the paper. Also, it looked like he had already written some pages, so he continued writing from where he had left off. He didn't seem to pay any attention to what was going on around him, so Monica decided to let him concentrate for a while, whatever he was doing. Maybe it was his way of relaxing, like hers was cooking. She took a book out of her bag and attempted to read a little to pass the time. However, her focus stayed on Chandler and she shot quick glances at him the whole time, careful not to be noticed. What she didn't know was that Chandler was doing the same thing. Every time his eyes caught a glimpse of any part of her -her raven wet hair, some droplets of water on her soft skin, her focused look on the pages of her book- he found fresh origins of inspiration.

"What are you writing?" Monica dared to ask some time later. She didn't want to distract him, but she was dying to know.

Her voice startled him and he realized they hadn't said a word to each other since they had arrived at the beach. "It's nothing."

"It looks like it's something." Monica didn't want to let that one go that easily.

"Believe me, it's nothing worth reading." Chandler said deliberately.

Monica understood it wasn't something he wanted to share with her at that moment. She gave him a tiny smile and silently returned her gaze to her book. Chandler closed the envelope carefully and placed it back in his bag.

"I'm thinking about going to the bar to take something to drink or eat. Do you want anything?" Chandler asked politely.

"No, thanks, I'm good." Monica said, sounding unsure. She was craving something sweet, but she felt that, thanks to Rachel, she had already exceeded the amount of food she was supposed to eat for the day. Of course Chandler had seen her eating a lot more before and she wasn't sure what his thoughts were in regards to that.

Chandler had been confused about 'Rachel''s eating habits at the beginning, but he had caught her eating behind everyone's back enough times to realize something was off. Either Mark had no idea his fiancé loved food or her eating habits had changed dramatically when she arrived at Thessaloniki. Whatever the truth, he had a feeling that after her delicious meal and the swim she would want something sweet.

"Maybe an ice cream?" Chandler asked trying to hide his smile. He was thinking about that night when they had eaten a huge bowl of ice cream each, but he didn't want to offend her or make her uncomfortable like he had before they had left the house.

"I don't know… Will you get one?" For an inexplicable reason Monica was nervous. She had a feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen.

"Maybe I will." Chandler answered.

"Okay then, buy one for me, too." Monica said and lowered her eyes to her book once again.

**-/-**

The bar was at the other side of the beach. Chandler walked near the seashore enjoying the sun that had begun descending in the sky. He was slightly worried about the envelope he had left in his bag. Would she be tempted to see what was in there? Somehow he was sure what he had written was safe; even if she did want to know, they had come to a mutual understanding, a silent understanding. She wouldn't touch what he was too insecure to show her. He reached the place which was called 'the beach bar'. It was a small wooden construction, not really a whole building. It had some steps that led to a counter behind which there were some shelves with several kinds of drinks. Next to the counter there was a fridge and some cabinets with food. He chose two chocolate cones and once he had paid for them, he readjusted them so that he was holding one cone in each hand. He turned around abruptly and crashed into a woman who seemed like she had been climbing the wooden steps with too much force. The woman let out a shriek and Chandler noticed that the ice cream cones had fallen directly onto her naked abdomen, half of the ice cream staying on her skin, half falling on the ground.

"I'm so sorry." Chandler muttered.

"Are you kidding me? Can't you see where you're going?" She almost screamed with frustration.

"_I_ can't see where I'm going? You were behind me. _You_ should be the one looking ahead so that you don't crash with whoever is in front of you." Chandler tried to defend himself. The woman looked anything but pleased. Chandler allowed his gaze to wander over her face and he realized she was the woman who had come to his family's house looking for 'Rachel'.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel was getting even angrier. She had just persuaded herself to relax and have some fun, she had even offered to go to the bar on her own and buy something for Kostas, too, and that man with his recklessness and his rude demeanor wouldn't let her follow her plan. Her skin was sticking with chocolate, which she didn't allow herself to eat anyway, and everyone around them was probably looking at her.

Chandler averted his eyes quickly. Obviously the woman didn't remember meeting him. He threw the ruined cones into the trashcan and grabbed a few paper towels from the counter to help her clean herself.

"Some people are idiots." Chandler hadn't made any move to touch her, he had just offered her the paper towels, but Rachel shoved his hand away furiously. "I can do that myself."

Chandler had begun walking away from the bar when he heard her using a popular Greek curse word. He stopped, gave her disdainful look and left. He considered telling 'Rachel' he had met that woman, but then he remembered the look on her face when he had told her about that woman's visit. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. Their day had gone quite well; he shouldn't ruin it for her.

"Where's the ice cream?" Monica asked when she saw him approaching her.

"Umm… It wasn't good. We can eat some later at the village. Do you want to go now?" Chandler had started gathering his things before she had the chance to answer.

**-/-**

They returned home a little before sunset. Chandler was almost back to his distant self, which frustrated Monica. He had disappeared into his room again, so she didn't really have anything to do by herself. She was sitting at one of the balconies, admiring the changing colors of the evening sky, when he appeared at the balcony door.

"My mom called me." Chandler said. "She told me to take you out."

"To pee?"

"What?"

"I mean like a dog? Do you have to take me out to pee?" Monica asked. _You're not the only one who is able to come up with sarcastic remarks mister!_

"You know what I mean." Chandler said simply with a hint of a smile. "So, if you want, we can take a walk or go for a drink later."

"Only if I want to?" Monica tried to hold his gaze, but it was impossible, because he was avoiding her eyes.

"Yes, if you want to." He said, feeling his cheeks burn. He was positive he was blushing, which was fine by Monica as she found him incredibly adorable.

"I have to get ready first." Monica said.

"Which will take what? Fifteen minutes?" Chandler asked.

"Mmm… Make it thirty!" Monica grinned at him and went inside.

Chandler rolled his eyes and followed her into the house. It would be an interesting night…

**-/-**

**A.N.: Thank you all so much for the reviews! A special "thanks" to the people who leave reviews as guests and I can't answer them privately! I had intended on writing more to this chapter, but it got quite long, so I decided to leave it here. I hope the story hasn't become boring; I just have a plan and I don't want to rush into anything. Also, this chapter took me forever to write, probably because whenever I had an inspiration, real life stuff happened and took it away from me. Thanks for reading and remember that a review is always appreciated!**


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